


The Little Pirate

by spark_plugx



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Audrey and uma being wingmen, F/F, F/M, Gay Male Character, M/M, Mermaids, Pining, Pirates, Poisoning, Secret Identity, Slow Burn, True Love, True Love’s Kiss, evil sea witches, magical powers, mermaid and a pirate who doesnt love that, selective mutism, son of the little mermaid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-01-30 04:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 99,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21421918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spark_plugx/pseuds/spark_plugx
Summary: Harry Hook isn’t having the easiest time adjusting to Auradon Prep. Other students avoid him, specifically one cute red headed boy who all but runs whenever he sees Uma and Harry.OrThe one where Harry meets the son of the little mermaid and falls hopelessly in love.
Relationships: Audrey Rose/Uma (Disney), Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Harry Hook/Original Character(s), Harry Hook/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 80
Kudos: 324





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So for plot purposes, everything that happened in the movies happened a year prior, so the events of the first movie happened one year prior, so they still have one year left of school okay awesome , also the enchanted lake isn’t so far away from the school and Ben is a like a year or two older and has you know, graduated before becoming King because why would you let a highschooler become king? 
> 
> Also I have knowledge of the books and I'll be pulling some things from it, especially in later chapters.

It had been almost three months since Harry had came to Auradon and he thought he was adjusting decently. The summer had been great; exploring Auradon with Gil and Uma, and some of the other VKs had been insanely fun. 

Auradon Prep was not as fun and he couldn’t believe they were actually making him go to school. Uma wasn’t very thrilled with it either, but she was trying to be positive about it, a first for her, so Harry followed. Gil had no problem adjusting and made tons of friends within the first week. 

Uma and Harry had a bit more difficulty with it, but they considered the original VKs their friends, plus Ben and Jane. Well, Jane still tensed up around them, but who wouldn’t? 

“There he is again,” Uma whispered to Harry as they moved to their next class, ‘Remedial Goodness’. She nodded towards a boy with red hair with swooping bangs. He had a very laid back look about him as he moved around other students. He glanced over to Uma and Harry, his green eyes widening a little before he took a hard turn. Almost everyday he avoided them.

“Aye, maybe it’s ‘cuz he likes ya?” Harry teased while Uma kept her eye on the redhead. “Or scared?”

“Doubt the first and the second. I’ve seen him talk to Mal and Carlos, and other VKs. He outright avoids us,” Uma kept walking, thinking about it. Part of her didn’t care, but another part wanted to know what his issue was. She had never seen the boy before the school year started, so maybe he just heard some wild rumor and believed it? 

“No reason to worry ‘bout it then,” Harry shrugged, not caring too much. The boy, he remembered his name was Zale, was in his biology class. He sat at the table next to Harry’s. He had handed him papers before and didn’t seem to be that scared of him, but Harry could tell he was more withdrawn whenever he interacted with the pirate. Which was a shame, because he was pretty cute, actually, he was kinda of attractive and seemed shy, which was Harry’s type. Still, he wasn’t going to let it bother him.

Well, he wouldn’t let it bother him much. 

He started noticing how much Zale would dodge around Uma, even risking being late to class to take the longer way around so he wouldn’t have to walk by her. When he had to walk by Harry, he wouldn’t make eye contact and he just focused his eyes forward, or he would focus entirely on whoever was walking with him. Most of the time it was Jane, the rest of the time it was Lonnie. Zale didn’t seem to be overly popular like Chad or Audrey were, so Harry guessed that he must not be a prince. If he was, he would have a crowd around him like a few of the other royals had. The only friends Zale seemed to actually converse with were Jane, Lonnie, Carlos, and Audrey. An odd combination. 

“Aye, lass, got a question for ya,” Harry said, approaching Jane while she was at her locker. She squeaked and almost dropped her books. He gave her a slightly annoyed expression and sighed. “Should be used to us by now, eh?”

“I’m a bit flustered with my workload and I was up in my head,” she explained, setting her books in her locker and shutting it. “How can I help you, Harry?” 

“Zale. What’s his deal?” Harry asked, leaning against the lockers. Jane shot him a confused expression, shaking her head. 

“Zale’s deal?” She questioned, not understanding what Harry wanted to know. “He’s on the swim team, if that’s what you mean by ‘deal’. Were you interested in joining the swimming team?” 

“Wha? No!” Harry forced himself not to roll his eyes at her naivety. “What’s his problem?”

“His problem? I don’t think he would like me sharing his personal issues with just anyone,” Jane continued and Harry knew she had to be pulling his leg at this point. There was no way she was this clueless. 

“What’s his problem with me?” He questioned through gritted teeth, forcing each word to come out as clear as possible.

“With you? I don’t think he has one. I don’t see why he would, unless you’ve done something to him. Besides, I didn’t think you would care much about that,” Jane said, started to head to her next class. Harry followed closely, still wanting answers. “Do you like him or something?”

“Do I what?” He questioned, raising his eyebrows at her. “Nah! I don’t even know the bloke, he just avoids me and it’s weird. Thought I’d ask ye and solve the mystery,” he explained, putting his hands in his pockets. 

“Why don’t you just ask him yourself?” Jane asked as they approached her classroom, which was also Harry’s next class. Zale was heading towards them with a black beanie covering most of his head. His head was down, scrolling through his phone. 

“I don’t care that much,” Harry muttered when Zale looked up and noticed the two of them. He nodded to the both of them as he got closer and Harry realized the issue Zale had might be more with Uma and not him. 

“Time to learn about the ocean,” Zale said as he got to the door. He gave Jane an amused expression and she laughed, probably some inside joke between the two of them. “Sure you’ll love this lecture, Harry,” he continued and Harry was a little thrown off. This was the first time Zale ever spoke to him and looked at him with a pleasant look on his face. 

“Yah, ya bet,” Harry replied and Zale walked into class without another word. Jane smiled and giggled at Harry before she hurried into class. 

\----------------

“Oh, FYI,” Jane asked, all but latching onto Zale’s side when they left class an hour later, going in the opposite direction of Harry. “Harry Hook asked about you. He thinks you have an issue with him,” she glanced back, looking at Harry’s back before looking forward again. 

“Not so much an issue with him more so an issue with his friend,” Zale muttered. “Why would he care though? Harry Hook cares about no one’s opinion.”

“I thought it was strange too, but maybe he thinks you’re cute?” Jane teased, poking his side as he narrowed his eyes at her. 

“Why would he think that? I highly doubt I’m his type,” Zale questioned, watching Jane roll her eyes. She got a lot sassier since she had started dating Carlos. “Plus I do run when I see him and Uma. She probably just convinced him to ask you about it because she’s noticed. Anyway, how’s the planning for the next big event your mom cooked up going?” 

“Oh it’s going...going to drive me insane!” Jane started, Zale smiling at her. 

He wasn’t a super popular guy, which was perfect for him. He preferred a small close group, friends he knew he could trust, rather than a large shallow crowd. He had grown up around a crowd and being at Auradon Prep was a breath of fresh air. No one except Jane and Lonnie, and maybe a few others, knew who he was or who his parents were, and that was perfect. 

He saw Uma down the hall and directed Jane to the left, going out into the courtyard. He was sure Uma was nice but the stories his mother had told him of her mother...he didn’t want to risk an issue this close to graduating. He had a lot he had to do before and after graduating and he didn’t need evil curses or contracts getting in his way.

“She’s going to find you and corner you one day,” Lonnie said, joining them as they walked across the courtyard. She knew he saw Uma by how he changed directions so quickly, a grimace on his face as he did. 

“I hope she won’t take my voice,” he joked, pulling his bag more onto his shoulder. “Anyway, I’ve got to get to swim practice, I’ll see you two later!” 

\----------------

Harry kicked a small stone, watching it fly as he groaned. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was bored, and a bit lonely. Uma had gone off with Mal and Evie, and Gil was with Carlos and Jay, so Harry got the short end of the stick. He didn’t want to spend his Saturday in his room playing video games all day, so he headed outside, making his way to the enchanted lake. 

He approached the lake, coming in from the North side on the higher slopes, and heard talking. Of course someone would be there, probably a couple on a date or something. He peeked down at the lake, but didn’t see anyone sitting in the stone ruins. He took a few more steps before something splashed in the water and he caught a glimpse of blue scales before it disappeared back into the water, and Zale’s upper torso popped out. 

“I’m not racing you, again,” he heard Zale say as he rested his arms on the stones. Harry had no clue who he was talking to, since no one else was there. “I’m tired of racing, that’s all I do at swim practice.”

“What the…?” Harry whispered to himself, squinting in hopes that he could see better. All he could see other than Zale was a small school of fish, but that was it. He saw Zale roll his eyes before he pulled himself up onto the stone. Harry’s eyes widened when he saw the fish tail that was the lower half of Zale’s body. The scales were green and blue, with touches of gold. “Oi…” He needed to tell Uma! 

He took a step but the ground wasn’t stable and he slid down the hill, tripping and tumbling as he went. He hit his head and blacked out before he hit the water. 

\----------------

“Harry?!” Harry groaned as he heard his name. His head hurt and he was drenched. “Oh thank Neptune,” the voice continued and Harry slowly opened his eyes as he felt drops of water hitting his face. 

“Oi what…” he trailed off as he saw Zale hovering over him, red hair wet and plastered to his face. His green eyes were wide, filled with worry. Harry stared up at him, dazed as Zale continued looking down at him.

“Hey, be careful and slow. You hit your head pretty hard when you fell,” Zale said, leaning back a little to give Harry some space. 

“M-MERMAID!” Harry exclaimed when everything came rushing back to him. He sat up quickly and scooted away from Zale, who now had human legs. 

“What are you talking about?” Zale questioned and Harry looked to his face, then to his legs, then back to his face. 

“Aye, don’t play me! I saw whats I saw! Make ‘em go all fishy again!” He gestured to Zale’s legs, not letting up. “You was talkin’ to fishes too! I saw it, ain’t no bump on the head that caused it!” Harry continued. “I can’t believe my old man was right ...mermaids do exist.” 

Zale sighed, wishing he had been paying more attention. It would be just his luck that he would get caught and that Harry would be the one to catch him. Better than Uma he supposed, or Chad. That blabber mouth. 

“Look...Harry,” he rubbed the back of his neck and shifted, causing Harry to scoot away further. “No one knows about the….” he shrugged, gesturing towards his legs. “Except Jane and Lonnie and I would appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.”

“Why shoulds I keep ya lil’ secret?” Harry asked, thinking about all of it. “How can you even? A spell?!” Then it hit him and he couldn’t believe had hadn’t figured it out sooner. “The Little Mermaid! Swim team, red hair, being scared of Uma! It makes sense!”

“Oh great,” Zale muttered, groaning. He could’ve come up with a story about the tail, but he couldn’t cover up his parents. “Okay, yes yes! I’m the son of the little mermaid, are you happy? That’s why I avoid Uma and do all the other things! Yay, good for you, you solved it! Now shut up about it.” 

“Of course I did, I ain’t stupid,” Harry sneered, slowly standing. “‘Course I’m goin tell!” 

“Don’t!” Zale scrambled to get up and grabbed Harry’s arm, pulling him back. “Come on, I saved your life! Can’t you keep one secret from your friends?”

“Why does it matter?” Harry questioned, looking back at Zale. He was still wet and his eyes looked panicked. Harry felt a bit of guilt bubble up in him and he hated it. Zale was right, he did save his life, and maybe the Fairy’s Godmother’s goodness classes were starting to wear off on him, but he knew telling others was wrong. 

“Because, my parents don’t know that I know how to...you know,” he slowly let go of Harry’s arm when he saw Harry wasn’t going to run off. “Turn these legs into fins and I don’t want them knowing.”

“‘Cuz?”

“It’s...a long, complicated, story. And I don’t want tons of people knowing I’m a prince. Eventually everyone will know at school but for now...it’s nice to be normal. Can you please keep this between us? Please?” Zale begged and Harry looked at him for a long moment. 

He wanted to laugh in Zale’s face and go tell Uma, but it wouldn’t feel good to do that. Plus, part of him wanted a secret that Uma and the others didn’t know. He could make a friend out of Zale, a friend the others didn’t have. Someone he could go hang out with on Saturday instead of being the odd one out. 

“Fine,” Harry finally said and he saw Zale let out a deep breath. 

“T-Thank you!” He exclaimed, hand over his heart, feeling it beat rapidly in his chest. He couldn’t believe Harry actually agreed to this. He was sure he would go running off to Uma, and once she knew, the whole school would know and he’d go back to being the freak. 

“But I wanna know...were you talkin’ to fishes?” Harry questioned, looking at the lake behind Zale. 

“Oh, yes,” Zale said, walking over to the edge of the stone to look into the lake. “Kappa wanted to race with me again. He claims I cheat.” 

“Ha, do ya, yer highness?” Harry asked, coming up beside Zale. He could do this, he could make a friend by himself. 

“No, he’s just dramatic,” Zale said, shaking his head. “And don’t call me that, it’s awful!” He was coming down from his adrenaline high that hit earlier when he saw Harry tumbling down the hill. His heart was still beating hard, but he was starting to calm down. 

“Can I watch?” Harry asked and that caught Zale off guard. Harry wanted to watch him race? As a mermaid? 

“Really?” 

“Ya really,” Harry muttered, folding his arms. “Old man told me loads ‘bout you mermaids. Always wanted to see one, but I ain’t. Spent a whole summer at sea, still nothin’.”

“Yeah, mermaids tend to stay far below the surface. Fine, but I want to hear about your sea adventures,” Zale said and Harry noticed how Zale’s eyes lit up at the mentions of the sea. Zale took a few steps back, then dove into the waters. Harry covered his eyes from the splash and when he looked back, he saw the shimmering tail under the waters. 

“Woah,” he mumbled as Zale swam back towards him, resting his arms on the stone by Harry’s feet. Harry watched as Zale lifted is tail out of the water, letting Harry get a close up look at the scales. It was more beautiful than what his father had told him. 

Normally Zale felt awkward when someone looked at his tail, but Harry looked so in awe and amazed by it, it made him a little proud of his tail. 

“Stories?” Zale asked, looking up at him with expecting eyes. 

“Uh yeah,” Harry took off his socks and boots, then sat down, letting his feet dip into the water. “I can’t believe ya actually exist.”

“How odd sounding,” Zale laughed, beginning to calm down and feel better with the situation. “I know I know,” he said, stopping Harry from explaining. “Yeah, we exist, except others are full time mermaids. I just switch whenever I want,” he rested his left cheek on the stone, looking at Harry. “I come here some Saturdays to swim. It’s relaxing. Actually, before you start your story, why were you all the way out here?”

“Walkin’,” Harry said, not wanting to sound pathetic and weak. 

“By yourself?” Zale questioned, not believing that Harry only came out because he wanted to walk. “Nothing else going on this Saturday?”

“Nothin’ I was invited to,” Harry muttered and Zale felt a little guilty. It wasn’t easy adjusting to Auradon Prep after coming from the Isles, and he was sure that running away from Harry or not talking to him much didn’t help. In fact, it probably made Harry feel like an outsider. He had a very rough demeanor, and his crazed expressions didn’t help. He was probably struggling to make friends. Zale understood what that was like. 

“Well, if you ever want to join me out here, the invitation is open,” Zale offered, slipping back into the water some more until the water was up to his collarbone. “I’m sorry for avoiding you. You’re just always with Uma and….you know the story of my mother,” he watched Harry nod his head, understanding why Zale would want distance from Uma. “I know she isn’t like her mother, but I can’t risk it getting out, and she would find out. She’s smart.”

“Aye, that’s why she’s the captain,” Harry said in agreement. “I ain’t needin’ a pity invite.”

“It isn’t pity, I get lonely out here too,” Zale admitted, hoping telling Harry all of this wasn’t a mistake. He didn’t open up to people a lot, but given the circumstances, he didn’t have much of a choice with Harry. “So come out here, watch me swim, and tell me stories about the ocean. Deal?”

Harry mulled it over. It would be nice to have someone who had never heard his stories before, and Zale seemed more than happy to listen. Plus, it would ease his loneliness and jealousy he felt when his friends went off with other friends. 

“Fine fine, I’ll tells ya ‘bout the time my dad got stranded in Mermaid Lagoon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the Kudos! Tbh this is a fun side project so I hope others can enjoy it too! Anyway I love Harry Hook so

“So, are we now friends with Hook?” Lonnie questioned Zale after she caught up with him in the hallway, seeing him chatting with Harry before the two went their separate ways. 

“Huh? Yeah, I think we are friends,” Zale said, ignoring the look Lonnie was giving him. “He’s got so many stories about the ocean, it’s amazing.”

“Ah, there’s that star-struck look in your eyes,” She said. “So you two just happened to bond over the ocean? Not that I’m against this friendship, Harry isn’t that bad once you get to know him,” she continued, leading them to the cafeteria for lunch. “A little crazy but he’s got an excellent stance,” she said, referring to his sword skill. “Think you could get him to join my team?” 

“I don’t know if I can convince him,” Zale said, Holding the door for her and following after. His time last Saturday with Harry was really...nice. Harry had been a great story teller and Zale had been in awe the entire time, and Harry hadn’t treated him any differently. 

Harry seemed interested in his tail, not in a creepy ‘I want to experiment’ on you kind of way, but in a ‘magical’ sort of way. It was a nice change of pace and he was looking forward to another Saturday of epic pirate tales. 

Zale and Lonnie grabbed their food and found their usual table outside. Jane was there already, and Zale figured it was a good idea to tell them both before Carlos showed up to sit with them. 

“You and Harry seemed to be on better terms,” Jane started before Zale even sat down. “You smiled at him and talked to him after class.” 

“Am I not allowed to make friends?” Zale questioned, sitting down. 

“You didn’t seem to want to be his friend before, that’s all,” Jane said as she placed her napkin in her lap. “I think it’s nice. Harry isn’t one of my favorites but Carlos and Jay say he’s not that bad. He’s just had a hard life. Plus it wouldn’t be bad for you to have more friends too.” 

“I have you two, plus Carlos, plus a few others,” Zale couldn’t name them off the top of his head but he knew he had more than three friends. “It’s just hard when half the people here only care about who your parents are and I don’t want to spread my personal business around. I’m trying to enjoy this bit of peace bere I graduate.” 

“As long as you’re happy,” Lonnie said as Carlos approached the table. He sat down and kissed Jane’s check as Zale and Lonnie both made dramatic gagging noises to embarrass the couple. 

“Maybe I’ll be as happy as those two one day,” Zale joked to Lonnie. He looked over her shoulder and saw Harry with Gil, both heading over to sit with Jay and another member of the tourney team. Harry shot him a smirk and Zale looked back to Lonnie, who had followed his gaze. 

“Oh,” she said slowly and quietly. “Oooohhh.” 

“No, no, not like that,” Zale shook his head and he saw Harry laughing from the corner of his eye. That asshole. “He...uh,” he glanced at Carlos, who was entranced by what Jane was saying. “He knows about the….” he raised his eyebrows as Lonnie tried to connect the dots. He glanced down to his legs, then back to her. 

When it hit her, Zale rushed to cover her mouth with his hand. 

“He-“ was all she got out as everyone turned to look at them. Zale pulled her out of her seat and they hurried to a more secluded area, Lonnie hitting his shoulder the entire time. “I CAN'T BELIEVE!” She exclaimed when he took his hand off of her mouth. “How!” 

“He saw me swimming in the lake and I kind of saved him from drowning and we worked out a deal,” Zale explained roughly, turning his back on the eyes that were still watching them. “It's a long story but the short version is that he knows and I think we’re friends now.” 

“If he spills, I kill,” Lonnie threatened, crossing her arms. “What a mess, Zale, but, if you’re okay with it...not like there’s much you can do about it now anyway. I’ll trust Jay’s judgement and I’ll believe that Harry will keep his word.” 

“ I think this will be okay,” Zale said, looking back at Harry. 

“This means he can join the mermaid squad now,” Lonnie, referring to their trio. “Maybe now I can convince to join the team.”

\-----------------------

Jane took the news almost exactly like Lonnie had, except she demanded the long story version and then chided Zale for not being more aware of his surroundings. He knew he should’ve been more careful, but it had worked out okay so far, so he was going to trust Harry with the secret. There wasn’t much else he could do about it anyway. 

She eyed Harry all throughout biology class the following day, which Zale had to admit that was funny because Harry actually looked worried. 

“Got a problem?” Harry asked once class was over, now standing in front of her station. His arms were crossed and he was attempting to look tough but Zale could see the underlying nervousness in his eyes. 

“I just want to ensure that secrets are kept,” she said and Harry rolled his eyes, realizing what it was about, and looked at Zale. 

“Don’t look at me, she and Lonnie act on their own,” Zale shrugged getting up from his seat. “Want to go swimming tomorrow?” He asked Harry as another student brushed by them to leave class. 

“Aye, swimmin’,” Harry winked at him and Zale saw another student who was still in the class raise their eyebrows before hurrying out, giggling. 

“There goes the first rumor,” Zale muttered, looking after the fleeing student. “Yes, swimming, enchanted lake, noon. Please don’t make it weirder.” 

“You two are a mess already,” Jane said when she saw a few girls looking into the class before they turned and giggled. “Keep the swimming invitation private, or everyone will think you two are up to something else.”

“Not a word, Harry,” Zale said, cutting the pirate off from making a smart-ass remark. 

\-----------------------

Zale glided along the bottom of the lake, looking up at the surface to see Harry peering down at him. He had successfully dodged another one of Harry’s questions about his family by pretending that Kappa needed to talk to him. 

He wasn’t sure if he could continue putting it off, Harry already knew so much so quickly. Still, he didn’t want to scare him off with his family drama. It was a lot to dump on someone, he hated going to Lonnie and Jane about it even now, after three years of friendship with them. Zale was enjoying Harry’s company and friendship more than he thought he would and he didn’t want to wreck it.

He swam back up to the surface and took a deep breath of air as he broke the surface. 

“Welcome back,” Harry greeted, taking a bite of the sub sandwich he had brought with him as his lunch. Zale nodded his head and began swimming in lazy figure eights.. 

It was quiet, but it was relaxing. Zale had turned into a creature of isolation over the years, not by choice, because he liked having company, but circumstances had made it difficult. Even if Harry sat on his phone or didn’t talk for the couple of hours they were out here, Zale still enjoyed it. 

“Will you ever swim with me one day?” He asked, breaking the silence. 

“What?”

“It’s pretty down there, I think you’d like it. Plus it would be fun to have someone to swim with,” Zale continued, floating by. “It’s like a whole other world down there.” 

“That why ya enjoy flippin’ ‘round?” Harry questioned, finishing his sandwich. 

“It feels good to stretch the tail. If I don’t, I feel trapped. Plus, it’s relaxing. I can just go on autopilot and swim. I just wish I could swim with other mermaids, but you’ll do,” Zale said teasingly as Harry quickly pulled his feet out of the water.

“I ain’t lettin’ ya drag me in!” Harry scooted further away from the lake, out of Zale’s reach. 

“I won’t. I know you don’t want to ruin your eye makeup. Looks good today, by the way,” Zale came over to their spot and pulled himself up, his tail turning into legs as he did. He squeezed a bit of excess water out of his swim trunks before he sat down next to Harry. 

“I let Gil do it today. I’ll let ‘em know ya liked it,” Harry said, still eyeing Zale, not letting his guard down. 

“He’s got an eye for makeup,” Zale said, leaning back while he looked at Harry. The makeup did look pretty good, not a lot of guys could pull off a pile of black eyeshadow and black eyeliner. Harry’s eyes looked way more blue than usual. “Really, it makes your eyes pop.”

“Like my eyes, do ya?” Harry smirked at the compliment and Zale remembered who he was talking to. 

“Remind me never to compliment you again, you big flirt.”

\-----------------------

It had been one month since they started their Saturday routine and Harry had usually been on time. Today, however, it was an hour past noon and Harry still hadn’t shown up. Zale paced in the water, wondering if he should just leave. Zale dove under the water as he heard movement, ready to turn his tail back into legs when he heard a very muffled ‘Zale!’ that sounded like Harry’s voice. He peeked out from the water and upon seeing Harry, came more out of the water. 

“Slowpoke,” Zale called out, startling Harry as he slowly made him way over to the stone ruins, careful not to fall again. “I’ve been swimming around for an hour,” Zale didn’t want to sound hurt, but it was pretty rude and mean of Harry to be late and not text him. “Thought I was being stood up.”

“Oh, this a date?” Harry asked, smirking as he got closer, and Zale pulled himself up onto the stone, glaring at Harry. “Gil wanted to come walkin’ with me so I had to take the long way ‘round so he’d get tired and head back,” he explained fully and Zale relaxed as Harry kicked off his boots and took off his socks. “He’s nappin’ now, I bet,” Harry was tired too and he sighed when he sat down and put his feet into the water. “Alright, fishy, what story ya want?” 

“Ugh, horrible nickname. I’m not just a fish,” Zale said, lightly splashing at Harry with his tail. “Ha,” he smiled and Harry shoved him into the water.

“Ha,” Harry mocked when Zale popped his head out of the water. Harry continued to laugh and Zale held back a smile, instead turning to his left and slowly started swimming again. “Don’t you get tired of swimmin’ ‘round this puddle?” The lake wasn’t terribly small, but Harry would get bored easily of swimming in it. 

“Where else would I go?” Zale asked, floating on his back. “The tail and my gills don’t like chlorine water in pools, it’s harder for me to breathe in that water. Freshwater like this isn’t much better, I can’t last as long underwater as I would want, but,” he shrugged, glancing over to Harry, who was watching him closely. “What?” 

Harry stopped staring at the golden scales on Zale’s tail and moved his eyes to Zale’s face. He eyes were a light green that matched some scales on his tail, with specks of blue in them. He realized he was staring and tried to brush it off. “Ye can’t just stay underwater long as ya want?” he questioned, confused. Wasn’t that a big part of being a mermaid? He actually hadn’t asked Zale a lot about it. When he tried to previously, Zale would disappear under the water and reappear with a new topic. 

“No. In chlorine water, I have about five or six minutes, freshwater I have around ten to fifteen. I think I was meant for salt water living,” Zale explained, frowning. “I don’t know, though. When I first ...realized I could do this, I couldn’t breathe well through my gills,” he gestured to the gills on his neck. They weren’t very noticeable like the ones by his ribs. “I can breathe better now, but it still gets difficult, like they can’t keep up. I’ve never gotten to try salt water on them though.”

“Ain’t ever been to the ocean?” Harry asked, watching Zale’s expression dim . Zale almost always talked about the ocean to Harry, and he was getting perfect scores on all of the exams and tests in Biology class when they had to do with the ocean. “Yer kingdom by the sea, ain’t it?”

“That’s part of the long story I referred to a while back,” Zale replied, flipping onto his stomach and diving under the water again. Harry watched him flip and turn under the water, wondering if Zale was going to explain or not. Zale wasn’t one to talk about himself if he could help it. It was frustrating when Harry asked him questions about his home or about the tail and Zale would blow it off. 

It hadn’t been long since they started these chats, so his hesitation was understandable. It wasn’t like Harry was much of an open book either. Still, Harry didn’t like seeing Zale sad. He guessed he considered Zale a friend now, which was great, but of course, that meant he cared which was always a pain. 

“You good, mate?” He questioned when Zale reappeared above the surface of the water. 

“I’ve never been,” Zale sunk back down into the water, mouth almost covered by water. 

“To wha?” Harry questioned. 

“To the ocean,” Zale admitted, watching Harry register what he said. 

“Ain’t never been to the ocean?! How? Yer a mermaid, ain’t ya? Ya live by the sea!” Harry exclaimed, not believing it. “Aye, I ain’t believin’ that, ya just pullin’ me leg ‘cuz I was late.” 

“Nope, no leg pullin’ here, mate,” Zale sighed, swimming back over to where Harry was, resting his arms on the stones. “My mom had a wall built around our castle, and I wasn’t allowed near the water. I don’t know why...that’s why I like your stories so much. I want to go to the ocean, but...I don’t think I’ll ever get to.” 

“That’s bullshit,” Harry said, looking down at Zale. “That ain’t fair to ya, keep ya from the ocean when that’s why ya belong! That's like keepin’ me from me ship!” 

“It isn’t fair and I’ve tried to find ways around it but ...looks like I’ll just be living my ocean dreams through you,” Zale gave him a small smile, hoping this wouldn’t scared Harry off. He had been holding off on telling him, but he couldn’t keep swimming around his questions.”I think when I graduate, my mom will finally tell me why and she’ll let me get into the ocean.”

Harry looked at him, not believing the small smile. He could tell how upset Zale was about it. “Fine, if me stories make ya feel better, I’ll keep tellin’ ‘em, but I’ll get ya to the ocean one day.” 

“That a promise, Hook?” Zale questioned playfully, surprised when Harry shot him a serious look and nodded his head. 

“‘Course! I’ll be ya sea guide,” Harry added, seeing Zale smile and turn away, rubbing a hand through his damp hair. 

“Aw, ya flustered?” Harry teased, and was hit in the face with water that Zale splashed on him with his tail. “Aye!” He exclaimed and reached for Zale, grabbing onto his arm as Zale dove into the water, pulling Harry with him. 

Harry took a deep breath before he hit the water. It took him a moment, but he opened his eyes and saw Zale floating in front of him with a cheeky smile. His red hair was surrounding his face, gently brushing his cheeks as he swam around Harry as Harry sunk to the bottom. His tail shimmered as rays of sun from the surface caught it through the water, almost making it glow. It felt like Harry had been transported to some other world, where everything was brighter and serene. Seeing Zale lazily swim around him, completely at peace, brought an odd sense of calm to the pirate. His eyes followed the mermaid around, unable to stop staring at him. 

Until he realized he needed air. 

He pushed off the bottom of the lake and swam towards the surface, feeling Zale’s hands on his elbows, speeding him up and helping him get to air quicker. “Ah!” he exclaimed once he hit the surface, rushing air into his lungs. He doggy paddled, catching his breath. 

“You okay?” Zale questioned, popping up beside him. “I forgot you needed air, I shouldn’t have let you sink that far.” 

“Oi it’s fine,” Harry said, paddling back to his usual spot. He climbed up and took off his vest, draping it over a pillar that was broken in half so it could dry. He could see now how Zale could spend hours swimming around the lake. He wished he could spend longer than a minute or two down under the water, but that wasn’t one of his abilities. 

“Feelin’ okay?” Zale asked, swimming over to him. “Sorry I unloaded all of my personal problems on you, then almost drowned you.”

“I’ve dealt with worse problems, mate, no worries,” Harry said, wiping some water from his face. “‘Sides, the drownin’ was a lil’ cool, looks pretty down there,” he joked and Zale moved his bangs out of his face , but smiled again. “So, lemme tell you ‘bout how Gil got tangled in a net and threw himself overboard this summer.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm trying not to rush it but there's going to be more character backstory in the next few chapters :)

“What’s with you and him?” Uma asked Harry, seeing him give Zale a smile from across the cafeteria. She had noticed that lately the two had become more friendly with each other. She had given Harry about a month to tell her about their new friendship, but he hadn’t said anything about it so she decided to take matters into her own hands. 

“Who and who?” Gil questioned, walking beside them. 

“Harry and Zale,” Uma told him, flicking some of her braids over her shoulder. Harry normally told her everything, but she hadn’t heard much about Zale. “Seems they’re friends now.” 

“A lil’,” Harry shrugged. He felt a little guilty for not talking to Uma about Zale, but a majority of their talks and hang out time occured when Zale was part fish, so that was off limits to Uma. “We bonded over the sea,” he explained, hoping that was enough to satisfy her. He didn’t like keeping secrets from her, but, he just wanted to keep this friendship to himself a little longer. 

“Has he said why he avoids me?” Uma asked. 

“Nah, guess people are still warmin’ up to us,” Harry replied, not sure what answer she wanted. 

“He doesn’t talk much,” Gil said. “I sit next to him in english and he never talks. Maybe he’s just shy?” 

Harry and Uma both raised their eyebrows at this, surprised because it made a lot of sense which Gil didn’t make half the time. 

“Hm, guess so,” Uma said, though she did notice that Zale was getting a little bolder and wouldn’t completely move out of her path if he had a friend with him, but when he was alone he still would dodge out of her way. “Anyway, don’t lose your mind, but the biology class is getting to go to the beach this upcoming weekend for a field trip.” 

“Really?” Harry questioned, figuring that was the big announcement the teacher had planned that he mentioned on Friday. “Aye, finally! Somethin’ fun!” He was tired of constant homework and lectures, how could anyone learn like that? 

“That’s what I said when he told us this morning,” Uma said, taking a seat at an empty table. “They have these things called ‘permission slips’ that the other students have to get signed. We VKs are exempt from it since they apparently can’t mail them to our parents.” 

“They have to get their parents’ permission?” Gil asked, joining her at the table. Harry followed suit, sitting down ungracefully next to Gil. The whole ‘parents permission’ was stupid, but as long as it didn’t affect him, he didn’t care much. 

\------------

After the teacher announced the news in Biology class that afternoon, Harry looked over at Zale, expecting a smile, but all he got was a frown. Jane patted his shoulder and he put his head on the desk, pulling his beanie further onto his head as he did. 

“This sucks,” he grumbled while the other students around him began to chat excitedly. 

“Why?” Harry asked, getting out of his seat and standing by Zale. Zale peeked up at Harry before he sat up again, still frowning.

“Like my parents signed the permission slip,” he muttered and Harry sighed, not having thought about that earlier at lunch. Zale looked towards the teacher, who gently shook his head at the redheard, confirming his parents’ rejection. “You guys will have tons of fun though, the coast is always warm,” he mustered up a smile, not wanting to bring his friends down. “Guess I’m not ready for the ocean in their eyes.”

Harry didn’t bother him with it anymore, and he watched Zale drag his feet to swim practice after class, Jane sighing next to him. 

“I don’t get it, why won’t they let ‘em go?” Harry asked Jane, still standing next to her. 

“I’m not sure, and neither is Zale,” she replied, heading to her locker. Harry followed, biting his already chapped lip. “I think something happened when he was a baby. My mother won’t even tell me,” she continued, whispering to the pirate. “Ariel, his mom, had the wall put up about a year after he was born. I think some of the other teachers know, but they won’t tell me either.” 

“Hm,” Harry mumbled, not understanding. He didn’t grow up with fairytales, he grew up with the tales of the villains, which were always spun in their favor. He only knew of the proper fairytales when Ben had told them a few over the summer. 

He didn’t admit it to anyone, but his favorite was the Little Mermaid. He ended up searching the library for the story when school started and read all about it. It never mentioned what happened after their wedding, but all fairytale books usually ended at the wedding. He felt embarrassed about it, but he had spent many nights and days looking at Auradon in the distance, wishing he could be there instead of on the Isle. He could relate to Ariel’s pining for land. Now though, he didn’t understand her fear or hatred for the ocean, and why her son was having to pay the price. 

Zale remained in a gloomy state for the rest of the week while everyone chatted about their beach plans, but he was able to muster up some excitement for them as he waved them off on Friday. 

\------------

The field trip was fun, even when they were in ‘class’ and learning about the creatures in tidal pools. Harry mostly hung around Carlos, Jane, Lonnie, and Jay, which was a little awkward since he felt like a fifth wheel even though Jay and Lonnie weren’t dating, but he didn’t want to get stuck listening to Uma and Mal argue. 

They had become best friends but both were hard headed and liked to be in charge. 

Still, there were times where he, Uma, and Gil got stuck watching couples go walk down the beach together at night, or take cute selfies together. Harry hadn’t been interested in relationships when he was on the Isle, he didn’t think anyone else had been either. They only had each other, and half the time they couldn’t even trust everyone in their crew, so relationships were definitely out of reach. 

“I don’t need one, but maybe I should get a boyfriend, or a girlfriend,” Uma said while they sat in an empty lifeguard chair. All three had crammed into one, which meant Gil was half in Harry’s lap because Uma liked her space. “It seems like fun.” 

“What?” Harry asked, surprised by this announcement. It was weird, thinking about Uma getting closer to someone that wasn’t himself or Gil. 

“Yeah, I know, but,” Uma shrugged, looking out at the ocean. “It might be nice. You know I love you two, you’re like my brothers, but...don’t you wonder? You flirt with people all the time, Harry, why are you surprised by my confession?”

“‘Cuz I ain’t ever serious half the time,” Harry replied, shooting her a look. “I dunno, ain’t really thought ‘bout it much.”

“I guess being in a new environment makes you rethink things. Maybe I just want one so I can go make stupid mushy sandcastles with them and hold hands while we watch the sunset. Ugh,” she grumbled, embarrassed to be saying stuff like that. “Now I get why Mal was so hellbent on getting Ben back before. It had been nice to pretend to be dating him, but something real would be better.”

“Whoever ya pick to date, they gotta go through us,” Harry said and Gil nodded his head in agreement. Uma rolled her eyes, but smiled, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair. 

“Ha, fine, but, whoever you go after has to go through Gil and I too,” Uma told Harry, and it was his turn to roll his eyes. He could see where Uma was coming from. They hadn’t grown up surrounded in or with love, and it was kind of scary for them to open themselves up to anyone outside of their group, but they had to. If Mal and Uma could become best friends, anything was possible for any of the VKs. 

“I think y’all got a while before ya gotta deal with that,” Harry said, putting his arm around Uma’s shoulders with a grin. They stayed like that for another hour, until all three grew cold and headed back to the hotel they were staying at. 

\--------------

Gil was up early the next morning, bouncing up and down on Harry’s bed. 

“I’m goin’ hook ya if ya don’t quit jumpin’,” Harry threatened into his pillow, but Gil didn’t quit until Harry sat up, the sun barely peeking through their blinds. “What, Gil?”

“Let’s go walk on the beach! Jane found lots of pretty shells yesterday and she said she found them on her and Carlos’ morning walk!” Gil exclaimed, grabbing Harry’s arm and pulling him out of bed. Harry really wanted to knock Gil out and go back to bed, but he changed into his proper clothes and followed Gil down to the beach. 

Gil picked up almost every shell he saw, no matter if they were broken or not. Harry didn’t care about collecting shells, but his eyes landed on a smooth conch shell. It was about the size of his hand and the outside was golden, while the inside was a soft pink. He held onto it, deciding it would be a good gift for Zale. 

“That’s pretty! Help me find one like that!” Gil exclaimed when he saw the shell in Harry’s hands. Harry agreed, letting out a big sigh. The ocean air felt great in his lungs, and spending time with just Gil was nice. He rambled about classes, about tourney practice, about Jay, about Doug, about anything. 

They had walked a half mile, and then back when they bumped into Mal and Ben, who had two small buckets for their shells. Ben had somehow managed to take the weekend off of his kingly duties, but Harry guessed it wasn’t hard when his father could easily cover for him.

“You can use this one, I doubt we’ll find that many that Mal likes,” Ben offered, handing over his yellow bucket to Gil, who dumped all of the shells he had been holding into the bucket happily. 

“Aye, ain’t ya lucky?” Harry said, watching him. “Thanks, thought I’s was goin’ have to start carryin’ some.” 

“The one you got there is really pretty,” Mal said, looking at the conch shell. “I didn’t take you as someone who collects shells.” 

“I ain’t, but,” he shrugged, not knowing what else to say. 

“It’s for Zale, right?” Ben asked and Gil looked over at him. “He really enjoys the ocean, I wish he could’ve came.” 

“Uh, yeah, figured he’d like it,” Harry said, wondering if Ben knew who Zale’s parents were. If he was king, he would’ve had to know. He probably had no clue that Zale could turn into a mermaid though. Well, maybe he did? Harry made a mental note to ask Zale about it later. 

“That’s really nice of you, Harry!” Gil said, smiling at him. “You and Zale are really close, right? You spend like every Saturday with him all day, plus some weeknights.” 

“Oi, I can have other friends!” Harry exclaimed, embarrassed as Mal hid a small laugh behind her hand. “Grab ya bucket, c’mon,” his stomach growled, wanting breakfast and out of the situation. 

\------------

Harry kept the conch shell on his dresser when they returned to the school. He was starting to feel self-conscious about giving it to Zale and he didn’t know why. Normally he wouldn’t care, but maybe it was because he never gave gifts to people? It felt out of character for him. 

“Ain’t that for Zale?” Gil questioned the next day, nodding to the shell when they were getting ready to get dinner with Uma. She was standing in their doorway and her eyebrows were raised at this statement, both looking at Harry expectedly. 

“Y-yeah, just haven’t gave it to ‘em yet, ain’t a big deal. Just a shell,” Harry shrugged it off, lacing up his boots. 

Uma and Gil didn’t press it anymore, thankfully, but Uma kept smirking at him whenever Zale was around for the rest of the week, which had been a lot. Zale was much more talkative to everyone and Harry guessed it was because he wanted to hear about the beach trip, and he had probably be lonely that weekend. He had so many opportunities to give him the shell, but he didn’t want to be surrounded by people. He didn’t want to hear people say how uncharacteristic it was for Harry Hook to give someone a legit gift. 

Harry was thankful when Saturday came and he could stop having the shell stare at him. 

He grabbed the shell and headed out to the forest, making his way to the enchanted lake. He walked to his normal spot and sat down, undoing his shoes and taking off his socks. Zale wasn’t there yet, but Harry had arrived a little early. He put his feet in the water and watched the ripples spread out. 

Since he started coming here, he felt a lot more at peace with himself. He used to always be in his head, waiting for the day he could leave the Isle. Then, when he arrived here, everything was so new and so overwhelming and the future was far more daunting. He didn’t want to think too much about the future, what he would do after and what he would do with the rest of his life. It felt too heavy for him, but now, while it was still unsettling, it didn’t feel so heavy. Having this time outside of school to sit and watch the water relaxed him in ways it never had before. 

He dropped the shell into the water as someone raced by him and dove into the water. He saw the tail and sighed through his nose, kicking his feet to let Zale know that it wasn’t funny. He watched the shell float to the bottom and he groaned. Zale would have to go retrieve it now.

“Sorry, just had to!” Zale exclaimed as his popped out of the water. “You got a little tan from the beach,” he said, noticing the darker skin on Harry’s shoulders. “So, how was the big blue?” 

“Big and blue,” Harry joked, a little annoyed. “Aye, I got ya’ somethin’.” 

“Really?” Zale asked, eyes getting wide. Harry couldn’t help but smile at Zale’s expression of curiosity. He pulled himself up to sit next to Harry, looking at him expectedly. “Please don’t hand me a handful of sand. Jay did that and it wasn’t as funny as he thought it was.” 

“Oi, that’s a good one!” Harry laughed, picturing his face. “Nah, my gift is better.” 

“What is it then?” Zale asked, getting impatient. The weekend had been horrible without anyone to hang out. He had gotten used to spending his Saturdays with Harry, and it had been lonely without him. 

“Don’t get ya knickers in a bunch,” Harry said and directed Zale’s attention to the lake. “Ya made me drop in it there, good luck gettin’ it.”

“What!? No!” Zale exclaimed and dove into the water, looking around before his eyes caught a glimpse of something pink. He swam down and picked up the conch shell, turning it over in his hands, examining it. It was the prettiest shell he had ever been given. It had no cracks, nor missing parts, and its color was beautiful. He held it close as he swam back up the surface.

“T-Thank you,” Zale said, looking at Harry from the water. “This is like, the prettiest shell I’ve ever gotten. Seriously,” Zale continued, running his fingers over it gently. 

“Ay, it ain’t much. Gil forced me to go walkin’ on the beach one mornin’ when I saw it,” Harry shrugged it off, pleased that Zale liked it so much. “If ya put it up to ya ear ya can hear the ocean.” 

“Really?” Zale asked, narrowing his eyes at Harry as he set the shell down and pulled himself up onto the stone again. “No hidden crabs in this shell that’ll claw at my ear?” 

“Nah, but that’d be a good prank,” Harry replied and patted his shoulder as Zale gave him disbelieving look before he carefully placed the shell to his ear. 

“Huh? Sounds like my phone?” Zale questioned, hearing his ringer go off. Harry looked behind him, seeing Zale’s gym bag to the side of a large rock, where he tossed it and his shirt before scaring Harry. 

“I think it is,” Harry got up and went through Zale’s bag, pushing his towel out of the way before he found the phone at the bottom. The call ended before he could answer, but it was from Jane. There were ten messages from her, a majority being exclamation points. Another text came through that said ‘HIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ and Harry heard the sounds of people talking. Jane’s voice was the loudest. “Zale!” He turned and Zale dove into the water just as Gil came into view.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so much for the kudos, and the comment!!

“Found Harry!” Gil cheered and Harry dropped Zale’s phone back into his bag.

“Aye, what are ya doin’ here?” Harry asked as Jane ran up behind Gil, relieved that Zale wasn’t in sight. Mal followed behind her, and Evie. “Brought the whole group?” 

“We were going into town to get pizza, we thought you and Zale would want to join us,” Evie explained as the group walked over to them. “Gil left his phone in his room, and none of us have your number. Zale seems to not be picking up, so I guess he’s swimming.” 

Zale floated near the surface, clutching the shell against his chest as he heard the muffled voices of his friends above the surface. If he had a little more time, he could’ve gotten his legs back, but he needed more than five seconds. He willed himself to relax and felt his tail fade. He kicked his legs and broke through the surface of the water.

“There he is!” Gil said when he saw Zale’s red hair. “C’mon, we’re getting pizza!”

“You were down there for a while,” Mal said with a raised brow. 

“One of my many talents. Oh good, I’m starving,” Zale said, half of it a lie. He was happy to be included in the group outing and he was always down for pizza, but he had been enjoying the peace between he and Harry. He swam to the stones and set the conch down as he pulled himself out of the water. Jane and Harry both sighed, both looking equally stressed as Zale picked up the shell and headed over to the group. 

“Perfect, let’s go,” Mal said, turning and leading Evie away. Zale grabbed his bag, putting the shell in and pulling out his towel, wrapping it around himself while he slipped his flip flops back on. 

“Answer your phone next time!” Jane whispered harshly as they walked, Zale drying his hair off with a small frown. “I was so worried.”

“Sorry Sorry, but it’s not like I can keep my phone on me in the water,” Zale said, and put his shirt back on when he was dry enough. His gym shorts were soaked, but they would dry by the time they got to the pizza place. “Thanks again for the shell,” he said to Harry. “I’ll listen to it later, hopefully it won’t sound like my ringtone.”

Jane elbowed him while Harry chuckled. “Ugh, Harry let me see your phone. Obviously, you’ll have to be the lookout,” she held out her hand and Harry hesitated before he handed his phone over. 

“So do you just watch Zale swim around?” Evie questioned Harry, throwing him off for a second. He only swam with Zale once, and that was an accident. He wouldn’t mind swimming with him again, though he wished he could hold his breath longer. “Or do you time him while he does laps?”

“He times me,” Zale answered for Harry while Jane handed Harry his phone back. He noticed he was now in a group chat titled ‘mermaid squad’ and the most recent message was from Lonnie. It was a picture of an ugly fish, and the caption said ‘@zale. It u’ which made Harry chuckle. “I don’t like swimming in chlorine pools all that much, so I do my extra practice in the lake.” 

This seemed to satisfy Evie and she didn’t ask any further questions about it. They met up with Carlos, Dizzy, and Doug when they got to the pizza place. 

Harry was on his third slice of pizza when he noticed that Zale wasn’t talking much. He hadn’t hung out with him in a group setting beyond Lonnie and Jane, so he hadn’t noticed before how quiet Zale was. He barely said a word, just nodded and shrugged. He had always expected the Little Mermaid’s child to be very loud and outgoing. From what he could see from news articles and other media, Zale looked like the perfect mix of his parents. He had his mother’s hair, and fins, and his father’s facial structure. Harry wasn’t sure where the green eyes came from though. There weren't many recent photos of Zale available online, but Harry guessed that was when Zale started to hide who he was. His parents had done a good job of keeping him out of the spotlight, and his own kingdom was pretty respectful of their ruler’s privacy. 

Harry had spent a lot of time on the internet looking for more information though he didn’t find much of course. 

Regardless, Zale had his own personality, and maybe he acted differently in a setting where people knew he was a prince. No one around the school seemed to know, except the teachers, Ben, and Jane and Lonnie. 

He finished up the slice of pizza, listening to Dizzy talking about how she accidentally blew up her station in her science class. He hadn’t really spoken much to the girl when they were on the Isle, except when he stole her money, but a lot of the VKs avoided him and Uma. They were a bit on imitating, and on Harry’s part, crazy, side. Things were different now, for the good.

“Aye, goin’ eat that?” He asked Zale, not really hungry, but he wanted to talk to Zale even though he didn’t have much of anything to say. 

“Nah, you can have the crust part,” Zale handed him the crust that was on his plate from across the table. “I didn’t realize how hungry you were, are we going to have to start bringing lunch with us every Saturday?” 

“Eh, maybes,” Harry shrugged, seeing Dizzy eyeing the pizza. 

“Oh!” Dizzy said when she reached passed Zale for another slice of pizza and accidently hit his bag. “What’s in there? Something jabbed me!” 

“A conch shell,” Zale replied and Dizzy stared at him, unsure if it was a joke or not. 

“You finally gave it to him?” Gil asked Harry, loudly, much to Harry’s dismay. “It was sitting on his dresser all week! I never thought he would give it to you.” 

Zale shot Harry a questioning glance but then Dizzy was in his face, eyes wide, before he could ask Harry anything. 

“Can I see it!? Please!” She asked and Evie just sighed at her manners. 

“Sure, Dizzy, but, please, be careful with it,” Zale said, slowly pulling it out of his bag and handing it to her. “Isn’t it pretty? I’ve never had a conch shell before.”

“Woah, this is so pretty!” Dizzy exclaimed, carefully holding it close in awe over it. The others who hadn’t seen in before leaned in, all looking at the shell. Harry felt a little self-conscious, but he pushed past it. He didn’t want to hear about how weird or out of character it was for him to get someone a gift, so he hoped no one mentioned it. 

“That’s beautiful, I love the colors,” Evie said as Dizzy passed it to her. “This is inspiring.”

“Oh great,” Doug sighed, knowing the look in his girlfriend’s eyes. “The next fashion line she’ll have us in is nautical themed for sure.”

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Zale smiled, then looked to Harry. “Seems everyone is impressed with your shell finding ability. If you guys have to go on another beach field trip, I bet they’ll all ask you to go shell hunting with them early in the morning.”

“Aye, don’t give ‘em any ideas, I ain’t doin’ that ‘gain,” Harry said as he bit into the crust from Zale’s plate. He was very pleased with himself. 

“Even when I finally get to go?” Zale asked and Harry paused mid-chew. 

“For ya? Yeah,” Harry said with a smirk and a wink, and continued chewing. Zale chuckled and watched Carlos examine the conch shell, trying to hide his smile behind his hand. 

He had no clue why that made him so happy, maybe it was because his dream of being in the ocean would actually become a reality with Harry’s help? 

“Very pretty,” Jane said as she held it, sitting beside Zale. She eyed him with a small smirk as she handed it back to him. He ignored her smirk and put the conch shell back into his bag gently. 

—

“So, how much did you fawn over the shell?” Jane asked the next day, watching Lonnie practicing her form. Zale was sitting in the grass next to Jane, soaking up the sun. 

“Oh I bet you freaked out,” Lonnie said, taking a break to gossip with her friends. “I heard from Mal that Harry was a bit flustered when she and Ben asked him about the shell at the beach.”

“I think he felt nervous and awkward giving Zale a present,” Jane said. “He’s normally so sure but maybe he was worried about how everyone would take it. He’s not known for his generosity.” 

“That too, I guess,” Lonnie said with a shrug. “I was going more for ‘he has a crush on Zale’.”

“I can see that but I don’t know if that’s it, yet,” Jane replied as Zale rolled his eyes. Lately all the conversations were steered towards Harry, when all he and Harry were, were friends. 

Yeah Harry was cute, and Zale really enjoyed their Saturdays together, but Zale had a lot going on in his life. He didn’t want to think about the day he would have to confront him mom about his ability. Plus, would they throw an entire underwater kingdom on him? Or would one of his aunts take over? He hadn’t spoken to them in so long. They didn’t like the surface world as much as their sister did. 

“Are you okay?” Lonnie asked, seeing his eyebrows furrow. 

“Yeah, just thinking about the future,” Zale said with a sigh. 

“Don’t let the shadow of the future ruin your present,” Jane said wisely, as usual. “You’ve got time to figure things out. That includes a relationshipppppp. You don’t realize it, but you guys are always together and it’s cute how he’s started touching you more. He’s a very touchy person to his friends.” It was clear Zale didn’t notice the change in Harry since they became friends, and he didn’t notice the change in himself. 

Jane knew Zale was not an outgoing type, he didn’t like to draw attention to himself. Harry was the opposite but when they were together, they blended so well. Harry became a little quieter at times and Zale would be the loud one. It was funny, and endearing. Jane loved seeing Zale opening up and learning to trust someone new for the first time in three years. Someone other than her or Lonnie or Audrey. 

“Don’t put your ideas into my head,” Zale told her, frowning. There was a lot about him that Harry didn’t know yet and therefore, there were a lot of things that could scare Harry off. 

“Is this a secret mermaid squad meetin’?” Harry asked, surprising all of them as he approached from behind. Zale turned quickly, ears red when he thought about the possibility that Harry overheard them. “Eh? Okay there?” 

“Y-yeah! Just startled!” Zale said when Harry noticed. “We were discussing where to get lunch at.” 

“Yes, join us,” Jane stood, dusting the bottom of her romper off and rolling with the lie. “It’ll be our first official mermaid squad lunch.”

“That means we have to get dessert after lunch to celebrate,” Lonnie smiled, thinking of what to get.

“If you don’t already have plans,” Zale added, standing now. “Don’t let these two force you.” 

“Nah, I’m down to eat a bite,” Harry said, smiling at Zale. “So, what we eatin’?”

“Seafood!!” Zale cheered as Jane and Lonnie groaned. “What’s wrong with seafood?”

“We always get it,” Lonnie complained. 

“Seafood is always good with me,” Harry said, taking Zale’s side against the two girls.

“The pirate mermaid team up,” Jane said, knowing there was no use trying to beat the two of them. “Why don’t we get Japanese food? Jane and I can get something that isn’t seafood, but you and Harry can get sushi.”

“Sushi?” Harry questioned, not sure what that was. There were a lot of things they didn’t have on the Isle that they had on the mainland. 

“You haven’t had sushi yet?!” Zale exclaimed, the most animated Harry had seen him be so far. He loved it. “Harry, this is a crime. C’mon, you’ll love it. It’s fish encased in rice and it’s super good.” 

“Alright, I’m down to try it,” Harry said, already liking the sound of it as Zale lead them towards town. 

“What our mermaid prince fails to mention is that the fish is raw,” Lonnie said, eyeing Zale who was still excited about getting sushi. Jane and Lonnie laughed as Harry paused mid walk and shot him a disgusted look.

“Oi! Ya tryin’ to bloody kill me or somethin’!?” Harry questioned Who would eat raw fish!? Zale rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“It won’t bloody kill ya!” He said, mocking Harry’s accent. “It’s safe when it’s done right, and this place we’re going to does it perfectly. Trust me, I think you’ll like it.” 

Harry stared at him before he continued walking. “Fine, but if I get sick, I’ll be blamin’ ya!” 

\--

“This is good,” Harry said through a mouthful of sushi. Zale was sitting next to him with a huge smirk on his face. This was definitely a victory for him. 

“You say that until he begs you to get it with him three times a week,” Jane said, scooping up some fried rice and eating it. Zale shot her a look of ‘yeah right’ and she continued chewing. 

“Aye, I think I can handle that,” Harry said, still struggling with the chopsticks. He had Zale give him a quick how-to at the start of the meal, but he was still struggling. He stabbed a sushi roll with one stick and stuck it in his mouth happily. 

“We’ll work on the chopsticks,” Zale said as Lonnie looked on, shaking her head at this. Zale smiled, watching Lonnie reach across the table and try to move his hands and fingers in the correct way. 

“These are new for me too,” Harry complained as she helped him. “Who wants to eat with sticks anyway?”

“My family?” Lonnie questioned and Harry remembered who she was the daughter of. “It takes practice.” 

“That means we’ll just have to get sushi all the time so you can practice chopsticks,” Zale grinned, picking up another roll with his chopsticks. “How lucky for me.” 

“Poor Harry, he’ll be stuffed with fish,” Jane said, finishing up her rice. “We tried to get him hooked on other foods, but he’s obsessed with seafood. That’s not surprising in the least, but still. You’d think he’d get tired of it.”

“I ain’t had a clue there was this much food, like types and all,” Harry said, slowly picking up a roll with his chopsticks. He dropped it back onto his plate, however, right when it got to his mouth. “We ain’t had much choice what we ate on the Isle. Ursula made a lot of the food.”

“She’s a chef?” Lonnie asked, surprised.

“Ain’t ever said it was edible, or good,” Harry grimaced thinking about it. Then he had thought the food was fine, but now, after eating all of this new food, he realized how wrong he had been. 

“We gotta do a taste around the world, then,” Lonnie said, chuckling at Harry’s failed attempt. “I’m sure there’s tons of food you haven’t gotten to try yet, and there’s tons of restaurants in town. Maybe a few times a week we can go explore some new restaurants.” 

“That’d be lovely!” Jane exclaimed, on board with the idea. “We could make it a large group thing sometimes too. It’s a good way to make more friends.” 

“That would be a lot of fun,” Lonnie said, giving up on helping Harry. Zale picked up Harry’s dropped sushi with his chopsticks and held it out for Harry. 

“Here,” Zale offered, giving him a small smile. He wasn’t a big fan of large groups, but he would give it a try. “I’m in, as long as the group isn’t too big.” 

“I’m in,” Harry said and ate the sushi roll off of Zale’s chopsticks. 

“Where should we go first?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kudos!!! This chapter is my favorite.

“We’re getting pasta tonight,” Jane told Harry on Tuesday afternoon, catching up to him in the hallways. “Fresh, made that day pasta. You’re going to love it and no, you can’t twirl the pasta around your hook. Leave the hook in your room.” 

“That ain’t fun though,” he complained, but he only meant it jokingly. He was excited about this adventure into new foods or just better foods. 

“It amazes me that you can eat with a hook but not chopsticks,” Jane said, shaking her head. “Anyway, just meet at Zale’s dorm at 6 tonight. I’m bringing Carlos with me since he’s never been either, and he gets bummed when he’s not invited to pasta nights. See you then!” With that, she was gone into the sea of students. 

“What was that about?” Uma asked, appearing on his other side, startling her. “Got a date with the fairy in training tonight? Carlos too?”

“Oi, don’t do that!” He said, almost bumping into the student next to him. “Nah, we all just goin’ out for dinner.”

“We all?”

“Lonnie, Jane, Carlos, and Zale,” he continued, wondering if she was going to get upset for not being invited, but he couldn’t do much. He could ask Zale, but it would be uncomfortable for everyone. 

“Isn’t that nice,” Uma said and Harry couldn’t tell if she was being sincere or not. 

“Yeah, Zale suggested that I try tons of different food so,” he really couldn’t tell what she was feeling right now and it was starting to unnerve him. “Ever had sushi?”

“Had what? Is that that raw stuff?” She questioned, looking disgusted. “Mal tried to feed me squid the other night. She thought it was hilarious, so did Ceclia.”

That made him feel better. Uma was making other friends too, so he didn’t need to worry about her getting jealous or her feeling left out. 

“I thought it was good,” Harry said, thinking back to it. “Apparently I’ll be eatin’ tons of it if I keep hangin’ ‘round Zale.”

“So tons of sushi is in your future,” Uma said with a smirk, looking forward. Harry noticed other students didn’t move out of their way nearly as much as they had when he and Uma first enrolled. Maybe everyone was finally getting used to them?

“I guess so,” Harry replied, not catching on to what Uma was meaning. “We were missin’ out, yeah?” 

“On food that wasn’t my mom’s cooking? Uh, yeah. I was tired of that stale pudding,” Uma replied, heading for her next class. “We’re going to have the ‘council of side kicks’ visiting us soon for some class lesson. They got a council for everything around here.” 

“The what?” Haru asked, wondering if he heard her right. 

“Yeah, flounder, Genie, The dwarves, the mermaids,” Uma listed and Harry gave her a surprised looks. 

“Mermaids?” 

“Yeah, all the sisters of the little mermaid are on the council. Do you not pay attention in government class? Hm, wonder if they’ll have their fins,” she mumbled and Harry wanted to question Zale about it, if he knew and if he had met his aunts before, but that had to wait.

\--

Harry stood outside Zale’s door, knocking a few times before he heard a muffled ‘come in’. He opened the door and entered Zale’s room for the first time. 

His bed was double the size of Harry’s and was neatly made. His room was a little fancier, but he was a Prince so that was to be expected. Harry smiled when he saw the conch shell on Zale’s bedside table. 

“Never thought you’d be an early bird,” Zale said, straightening up his desk as Harry continued looking around his room. 

“Aye, figured I’d come early to check ya room out, also,” Harry said, slowly turning to face Zale. “Heard ya fishy aunties were comin’ to the school, the sidekick council? Uma was tellin’ me ‘bout it today.” 

“I don’t know if they’ll come,” Zale said. “When I heard the news earlier in class, I was excited but, they don’t really like land as much as my mother. Plus, I don’t know if they’ll come in mermaid form or human form...” he mumbled, looking down at the carpet as he leaned against the desk. “I want to see them, but…..I don’t want to hear them get made fun of or called freaks.”

“Ya ain’t really believin’ people will call ‘em that, right?” Harry questioned, not believing it. Mermaids were incredibly cool and graceful creatures. 

“Not everyone is as enamoured or mystified by them as you are, Hook,” Zale said with a small smile when he looked at Harry. “I uh, nevermind,” Zale trailed off, not wanting to go down that path yet. “I hope I get to talk to them. It’s been a while. We don’t see them much.”

“I’m sure ya goin’ get the chance to talk to ‘em,” Harry said, waving off Zale’s worry. He wanted to know what Zale was going to say, but Jane and Carlos opened the door, killing the topic. 

“I’m ready to eat!” Carlos exclaimed, stomach growling. 

\--

“My mother has been in such a flurry to get everything ready. You know how picky Merryweather can be,” Jane said at lunch the next day to everyone. “She also always forgets how large the council is.”

“It’ll be fine,” Mal said from her table, which was right next to theirs. There weren’t really tables big enough for a large group, so sometimes conversations spanned across tables. Zale kept eating his fish, just listening. Harry was at Mal’s table, next to Uma and Evie, trying to not act interested, when he really was. 

“So, whose all comin’?” He asked Jane, because he knew Zale wanted to ask. They were only a few days away from the council visiting, but their professor hadn’t said much on which members were going to make it. 

“Of course all the dwarves, and Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. You know how those three are with my mother,” Jane said, shaking her head. “Genie said he would come, but we aren’t sure about Ariel’s sisters.”

“Yeah, might be a bit hard for them,” Uma said, eating her french fry. “Don’t want them floppin’ around on shore.” Zale kept his head down, messing with his food. Once again, he wasn’t talking much at all. Harry wanted to ask him about it, but how would he? ‘Hey why don’t you talk a lot in group but you talk a lot to me?’. 

“I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t mind seeing hot mermaids,” Chad said, coming up behind Zale and Jane. The group rolled their eyes as Zale turned to look at him. 

“Chad, I know it’s empty up there, but have you ever thought of not saying the first thing that pops into your head?” Zale questioned and Mal held back a laugh, surprised by what Zale said. The whole group seemed surprised by this since Zale had been so quiet. Harry didn’t bother holding back his laughter as Chad and Zale entered a stare down. 

“Whatever, fish stick,” Chad muttered and walked off as Zale rolled his eyes.

“Fish stick?” Carlos and Evie questioned at the same time, confused by the insult. 

“A nickname from childhood, don’t ask,” Zale said and Harry realized that Chad must know that Zale was a prince as well. He wasn’t sure why Chad wouldn’t spread it around, but then again, Zale was much more bearable than Chad, and with Ben having graduated, Chad was one of the only princes left in school. He probably preferred that Zale was quiet about his status, it meant that Chad would get more attention from the ladies who loved his princely status. 

“Anyway!” Jane exclaimed, hoping to take some attention off of Zale. “Make sure you’re all on your best behavior! More stress on my mother is more stress on me, remember that.” 

“So no hookin’?” Harry questioned, smiling as Jane looked annoyed and Zale let out a small chuckle. 

“Harry, I know you’re trying to be funny, but don’t,” Jane said as Harry twirled his hook around in his hand. The others laughed too, so he felt pretty accomplished with his joke. Zale looked a little happier, but he didn’t finish his food by the time lunch was over. He left the table before anyone else, Harry’s eyes following him. 

“Can you check up on him?” Lonnie asked, looking worried. “He and Chad obviously don’t get along, they never have, even as kids.” 

“Yeah, sure,” Harry said and got up, following after Zale. He had wanted to check up on him without Lonnie’s prompting, but he felt like maybe it wasn’t his place. Lonnie and Jane were more suited for it, but he guessed they thought he was better for it. 

“Oi,” Harry said, hurrying after Zale before the red head could disappear from his sight. 

“I’m fine, you don’t need to check up on me,” Zale said, not turning to look at Harry. “Kind of used to that from Chad.”

“So’s? Ain’t mean it’s okay. Not like I’s can say much since I’s can be nasty but,” Harry shrugged, realizing he was getting softer and nicer, or he was just getting protective of Zale and his new friends. “I didn’t knows ya two were ol’ childhood enemies. Guess all the royalty knows ya?” 

Zale took a deep breath and sighed through his nose, stopping abruptly in the hallway, confusing Harry. 

“Come swimming with me.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, skip class with me, let’s go swimming,” Zale said, turning to face Harry, eyes boring into his. Harry stared at him for a few moments, weighing his options. He didn’t care about going to class, truthfully, and Zale looked like he needed a break.

“Lead the way, mate.”

\--

“The other royals know about the whole Prince thing,” Zale said once they were both at the enchanted lake. Harry was in a shallower part of the lake, while Zale floated around. Zale had been pretty quiet on the journey to the lake, but Harry guessed swimming around helped him calm down and think. “Luckily they agreed not to spread it around. I just wanted a chance to not be a prince for a little while, you know?” Zale confessed quietly. “I love being one, I know I’m lucky, but, Ben, Chad, and Audrey, and a few others, were the only friends I had growing up that I knew weren’t using me because of my status. I’m sure there were others, but I could never trust them that deeply, I was too paranoid.” 

“Oh,” Harry replied, watching him float. 

“And I know eventually, soon, everyone is going to know, especially if my parents show up for family day. I don’t really care that people know I’m a prince but...it’s just, when they find out about my mom,” Zale sighed, looking up at the sky. “That’s when I start getting called ‘freak’ or ‘fishstick’ again. No one knows I have fins, but they assume that I do and a lot of people think that it’s freaky. Is it freaky?” He turned over and looked at Harry with a serious expression. “Am I ugly? Am I a freak?”

“Wha?” Harry asked. “Nah, yer easy on the eyes, tail or no tail. Only freaky part are the gills a lil’,” Harry said honestly and Zale nodded his head, touching the gills on his neck. 

“The gills are weird. Thanks, though,” Zale smiled at Harry, who returned it with his own cheeky smile. “Easy on the eyes, huh? What a flirt,” Harry shrugged at that, keeping his cheeky smile. “Everyone thinks I’m off at this faraway private school and luckily no one really recognizes me because I am very good at dodging cameras. They’ll be ecstatic to find out about this story, I’m sure of it.” 

“Oh yah, Bubbles, they goin’ eat this story up,” Harry said and Zale groaned. “So, when did ya first find out ya could, ya know?” Harry asked, gesturing to Zale’s tail. 

“When I was thirteen. I was swimming in our pool and it happened. You’d think it would be terrifying, but it was kind of cool. I was terrible at swimming with it, so I had to practice a lot, and I couldn’t figure out how to breath under water either. I was a terrible mermaid. As I got older, I could swim better and breathe easier. Maybe when I hit eighteen, or when I get into salt water, I’ll be even faster, or be able to breathe better through my gills. I assume it’s kind of like puberty, but what do I know? There’s no books on having a tail.” 

“Why didn’t you ask your mom?”

“You know who my grandfather is, right? And how he turned my mom’s fins into legs? One hit from his triton and my fins would be goners!” Zale exclaimed, swimming closer to Harry. “So, I’ll figure these things out alone. I’m pretty good at doing things alone.”

“It ain’t much, but ya got me to help ya, if ya want it,” Harry offered and Zale gave him a soft smile, his light green eyes lighting up at Harry’s words. Harry couldn’t pull his eyes away, he felt so drawn in by Zale. He hadn’t felt this way about someone before, it was unsettling. 

“Thank you. I know this transition hasn’t been easy for you, then you got all tangled up in this mess, and I’m still mad that you sent a picture of that ugly angular fish in the group chat this morning and said it looked like me,” Zale said and Harry smirked, proud of that. 

He and Lonnie were in competition to find the ugliest fish possibly and tell Zale that it looked like him. 

“But, you are my close friend,” Zale said, continuing his statement. Harry felt his face get red at that and how Zale was looking at him. He felt soft, like Zale’s smile and eyes were. Harry could feel the trust Zale put in him. “That okay with you?”

“Aye, mate, wouldn’t be here it I weren’t ya friend,” Harry said and Zale held out his hand, nodding to the deeper part of the lake. “I’m in the water enough, yeah?”

“You said you would swwwwwwiiimmmmm with me!” Zale exclaimed and swam circles around Harry closely. His tail brushed around Harry’s legs and he squirmed, feeling the scales for the first time. “This swallow water isn’t easy swimming, c’mon,” Zale held out his hands and Harry finally gave in and held Zale’s hands. Zale began to swim backwards, smiling at Harry. 

They glided towards the deeper end and Harry had never moved in the water so easily or effortlessly before. It reminded him of when he sunk to the bottom of the lake, watching Zale do circles around him. 

“Not much of a swimmer, eh?” Zale asked when Harry’s hands kept their hold on Zale’s as he pulled Harry around.

“To be fair, ain’t got much swim time back home,” Harry said. He felt like he should be embarrassed, but it was only him and Zale here. “I can doggy paddle and get to the surface.”

“Long as you don’t drown, that’s good enough,” Zale said and sped up a little, laughing when Harry looked worried for a few moments. “C’mon, I got you, Hook. You keep swimming with me and you’ll be a pro.”

“Mate, I doubt that,” Harry replied, but Zale was happy again, and Harry was enjoying himself, so he let it be. 

“Who taught you how to swim?” Zale asked, lazily doing a figure eight. 

“The old man, sorta,” Harry said, trying to remember. “He just tossed me sis and I in and we just learned not to drown.” Zale looked horrified at this and Harry didn’t blame him. It was pretty awful. “Yeah, I was lucky my sis was a natural or I would’ve been swimmin’ with the fishes pretty soon,” he continued. “We taught my lil’ sis CJ how to swim though.”

“I didn’t know you had two sisters.”

“Yeah, CJ and Harriet. Dad ain’t real creative,” Harry said, thinking about his sisters. “Harriet is off sailin’ someplace, took CJ with her. I dunno where, guess CJ might come here to school, but dunno. ” 

“Ah,” Zale said, nodding his head. He liked learning about other families. Were they just as weird as his? “Do you want to be close to them?”

“Eh, yah, but, it’s okay if we ain’t close in distance. They got my back and I got theirs,” Harry said. “What ‘bout you? Any other tadpoles in yer family?”

“Just me,” Zale said with a small smile. “I think I have cousins. I do have six aunts so I’m sure I have at least one cousin. Maybe I’ll get to meet them soon.”

“Hopeful, ain’t ya?”

“You did say you’d be my ocean guide,” Zale reminded him. “There’s another ocean field trip coming up, so maybe it’ll be my chance.” 

“Aye, that I did and I will keep my word,” Harry said, happy with how much Zale was smiling. It was like the incident with Chad at lunch never happened. 

“Plus, they can’t keep me trapped behind a wall my entire life. When I’m king, I’m tearing it down,” Zale said and the realization hit Harry that Zale was a Prince. 

A Prince was holding his hands and pulling him around in the water. Not some twelfth in line Prince, no, a Prince that was going to be King. Possibly King of two Kingdoms, one on land and one below. 

“You okay? Look like you saw a ghost?” Zale questioned and looked around, wondering if Harry saw someone in the woods.

“Nah nah, just, uh, forgot that yer a prince,” Harry said and Zale rolled his eyes. 

“Hey now, snap outta it. Don’t get on weird on me now,” Zale said and Harry nodded his head. Zale sped up a little and did a small figure eight. “Want to go under the water again?” 

“You turnin’ on me that quickly? After we confessed our friendship?” Harry asked jokingly as Zale began to sink down into the water. “H-Hey now, I can’t last as long as you!”

“Just for a little bit, I’ll buy you sushi tonight,” Zale said and pulled him down below the surface. Harry thankfully took a deep breath and opened his eyes under the water. Zale was laughing at him but still holding Harry’s hands, guiding him through the water. 

A school of fish almost swam straight into them, but they all dodged at once, swimming around him and Zale with ease. 

“Pretty, right?” He heard Zale say and it was surreal to hear Zale talk under the water. His gills on his neck moved slowly and under the water, Zale’s eyes looked a little bigger. His tail moved so effortlessly in the water, and he looked so magical. Harry couldn’t believe how different it all looked. Zale smiled at him and chuckled. “Maybe Mal can make some special candy to help you breathe underwater, like how she made Carlos’ dog talk.”

Harry almost opened his mouth to reply, but he realized he couldn’t do that. 

“Wow, the charming and suave Hook speechless?” Zale teased and Harry raised his eyebrows. 

“You think I’m charming?” He questioned and they both looked at each other before Zale was yanking him up towards the surface. Harry coughed as he broke the surface, holding onto Zale as he caught his breath.

“You know you can’t talk under water!” Zale said, keeping Harry afloat. 

“But you..called me charming,” Harry said with a smirk and Zale dunked him under the water and pulled him back up again. “H-hey!!!” 

“It’s a miracle you aren’t dead yet,” Zale said and swam Harry over to their usual spot. Harry pulled himself up onto the stone. His eyeliner was running a bit, somehow Harry pulled that look off though. 

“Uma says the same,” he said, reaching for the towel Zale had packed for him. He rubbed his head with it and looked back at Zale, his hair going every direction.

“That was lovely until you almost killed yourself,” Zale said, disappointed it didn’t last longer. He enjoyed swimming underwater, he wanted Harry to too. “No more underwater trips for you.” 

“But ya look all magical under the waters,” Harry said, watching Zale recede back into the water a little, cheeks pink. “Hair all floaty and yer tail swishin’. It’s like another world,” Harry continued, thinking back to it. He wished he hadn’t opened his mouth, he could’ve gotten another half minute of the underwater world. 

“It’s that cool?” Zale asked and Harry nodded his head, putting the towel over his shoulders. “Thanks, Harry, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Zale said, sinking below the water so his large smile was hidden. Harry found Zale’s flustered expression absolutely adorable. He needed to compliment him more. 

“There you two are!” Jane called, scaring them both. Harry almost fell back into the water and Zale had dunked down until he realized who it was. “I can’t believe you actually skipped class! I thought the text message was a joke!” 

“Why would I joke about that?” Zale asked as she walked over to stand next to Harry. 

“I don’t know, it’s just been busy and crazy. Ben wants to speak to you about the council meeting,” Jane continued and Harry watched Zale roll his eyes. 

“Since when has he cared about my opinion or any of the other royals opinions for that matter?” Zale muttered and pulled himself out of the water, turning his tail into legs again. 

“Don’t like our beastie king?” Harry asked, surprised. Everyone seemed to adore the ground Ben walked on. Plus, when they were around each other, the two seemed to be on good terms.

“I like Ben sometimes, but just because he is the King of Auradon doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to converse with the inner kingdoms about his plans,” Zale said and Jane frowned. “I love that you and the other VKs are here, but the main royal family never discussed that with the inner kingdoms.” 

“Oh,” Harry said, seeing the problem. He was still learning about the politics and government of Auradon, but he knew Ben wasn’t the only king. 

“We have a few differencing opinions,” Zale continued to dry himself off so he could put his shirt back on. “But, I do like his optimism and dreams he has for the kingdoms. I guess I should be happy that he’s requesting a meeting.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the Kudos! I'm excited to finally getting the plot moving!

“A waste of time,” Chad complained as he left the small council room they had on campus. Harry stood across from the door, waiting for Zale. He had gone back to his dorm and showered and was going to wait for Zale to text him whenever he was done with the meeting, but Harry was hungry and Zale did promise sushi. A couple of other students walked out before Harry caught sight of Zale talking to Audrey. 

“I think it’s fine,” Audrey said to Zale as they walked out together. “Oh. Do you need something?” She asked Harry. Audrey was still a little stuck up, but that was just who she was. Harry didn’t let it get to him.

“Ahoy there to ya too, royal lass. I’m here for him,” Harry nodded to Zale, pointing his hook at him as well. “I’s promised sushi earlier and I’m here to collect.”

“Of course, I knew you wouldn’t forget the promise of free sushi,” Zale said, feeling better now that he was out of the meeting. “I’ll talk to you later, Audrey, promise,” Zale told his friend and she looked like she wanted to argue, but she took a small breath and nodded her head.

“I’ll hold you to it, just like Hook!” She poked his chest and then walked off, leaving the two of them alone. 

“Are you two close?” Harry asked when they began their way down the hallway. Harry really didn’t mind Audrey. If it hadn’t been for her snapping and going evil, he wouldn’t have gotten off the Isle. Besides, he could see why she did the things she did, Mal did kind of screw her life goals up. 

“Yes, we’re pretty close,” Zale said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I suggest we order sushi and watch movies in my room. I’m too tired to walk into town and I don’t think either of us owns a cool moped like almost everyone else.”

“Like they’d let me drive ‘em,” Harry said with a shrug and an eyeroll and Zale agreed. “Aye, I’d be an excellent driver….yer orderin’ through ya phone? Thoughts ya could onlys do that for pizza?”

“If it’s nearby, you can order it. Here, pick what you want,” Zale handed over his phone and Harry scrolled through the lists of rolls. “Thanks for having great timing, by the way. Audrey is my good friend, but I wasn’t in the mood to keep talking about that meeting stuff. A lot was about the council and of course, family day and the inevitable happening.”

“Inevitable?” Harry asked, glancing to look at him before picking out a few rolls on the phone. 

“My parents will be attending this year, so in a month or two, everyone will know who I am,” Zale sighed and Harry paused, surprised by the news.

“So soon?” He asked, handing Zale his phone back to complete the order. Zale fiddled with it before sliding it back into his pocket. 

“I’ve had almost four full years of hiding who I was and it won’t be... terrible. I know who my friends are,” Zale offered Harry a smile, nudging his shoulder to get him moving again. “We can still go swimming together and have sushi nights.”

“Yer highness will make time for the wee lil’ people? An honor,” Harry joked, not as worried now. If Zale had come to terms with it and was okay, Harry would support him. There wasn’t much they could do anyway. As long as Harry still got to hang out with Zale, he was happy. 

“Oh don’t joke,” Zale said as they got to his room. He unlocked the door and let Harry in first before following after, shutting the door behind him. “Of course I’ll always make time for you. You’re important to me and if you ever feel like I’m ignoring you or treating you unfairly, you need to tell me,” Zale said seriously and Harry was taken aback by it.

It was one of the most thoughtful sentences anyone had ever said to him. He didn’t grow up in an environment where his emotions were valued and where he was encouraged to speak up. It was so odd, but welcomed. He didn’t know how to respond to it, so he didn’t. Instead, he focused his attention on one of the pillows on the couch, running his hook along it. 

“I didn’t have it the easiest socially growing up, I doubt you did either, so I just wanted you to know how much I value you. I’m sorry, that probably came across weird, I’m not the best at expressing how I feel through words…I’ve never been much good with words unless I’m in a meeting.”

“Ya confessin’ ya love to me so suddenly?” Harry smirked, amused with how Zale rambled and how red his face was getting now. “I dunno, Bubbles, everthin’s happenin’ so fast.”

“I’m not the greatest with people sometimes!” Zale exclaimed, turning away from Harry. “Don’t do this I’m already embarrassed enough.”

“Mate, relax, I knew what ya meant,” Harry laughed hard, dropping his hook onto the couch. 

“Don’t tease me like that! It’s just been a stressful day all around. And Bubbles??” Zale questioned the nickname. 

“I quite like it, think it’ll stick,” Harry said and sat down on the couch with no grace. “And yer knows, if anyone messes with me Bubbles, I’ll hook ‘em,” he added and Zale rolled his eyes, but smiled. He looked soft again, and gentle. Harry really liked seeing him like this. 

“Happy to know that Lonnie won’t be my only defender. I feel much safer with you on the task force,” Zale sat next to him and grabbed the remote from the side table. “I dunno how I feel about Bubbles though.”

“The Bubbles Protection Task Force,” Harry pulled out his phone and texted it to Lonnie. “It’s stayin’.”

\--

“Ugh!” Audrey said, sitting down right next to Harry at lunch the next day. He was startled and confused, but Zale didn’t seem that surprised, nor did Lonnie. “Chad won’t leave me alone.” 

“You broke his heart, what do you expect?” Zale questioned, dipping his fry in ketchup. “Plus for some crazy reason he still thinks he’ll manage to be king of this whole kingdom and he wants you to be his queen. Is he aware that we would just vote in a new King or Queen and that no one would vote for him?” 

“I know and I apologized to him for how I behaved but,” Audrey stabbed at her salad, still frustrated. “Maybe if I got someone to pretend to be my boyfriend...Zaleeeeee?”

“Audrey, that’s what got you into this mess,” Lonnie chided her and looked to Harry for backup. Was Audrey suggesting that she and Zale should date to make Chad leave her alone?

“Yah, ain’t goin’ work. Chad just goin’ get his knickers in a bunch and go after Zale,” Harry said and Audrey seemed to actually listen to him, another surprise. A third surprise was how much Zale was speaking.

“Oh yes, fish stick,” she sighed and went to pushing her salad around instead of stabbing it. “I wouldn’t want you to have to endure that again. I suppose I’ll just have to ride it out, or try to set him up with someone else.”

“That would be ideal,” Zale said and munched on a few fries. “I would be the worst possible option out of everyone at this school. Chad really hates me.” 

“Why?” Lonnie questioned before Harry could. “I know there’s some rivalry for the crown that Chad seems to have with everyone for some weird reason, is that it?”

“That and because girls liked Zale more when we were younger. He was quiet and shy and Chad was, Chad,” Audrey said and Zale’s ears went pink. He stared down at his fries as Audrey spoke. 

“Aye, ya were a ladies man?” Harry questioned and Zale kept his eyes down at his food, not looking up. 

“All the girls in elementary school thought he was so cute and wanted to marry him at recess but he would sit on the swings by himself. He barely spoke either. All the girls thought he was so mysterious,” Audrey continued, amused at Zale’s reaction. “Chad would get so upset and throw tantrums.” 

“Or stuff sand down my pants, or pour it on my head, or put it in my sandwich when I wasn’t looking,” Zale said, hoping to make her stop. “Then he started putting fish in my bookbag and got all his friends to do that too.” 

“Around fifth grade things got very dark,” Audrey said thoughtfully, thinking back. “That’s when Chad started the rumor that you could turn into a mermaid.” 

“And my social life continued to be disastrous,” Zale added, starting to lose his appetite. “All those girls only liked me because if they married me they got to be princesses, not because I was cute. Then, those same girls either wouldn’t leave me alone about being a mermaid asked if I could make them mermaids too, or they called me ‘fish sticks’ and ‘freak’. Honestly, I preferred the latter because at least I knew they were being honest with their feelings. Plus, my lack of speech became odd and not mysterious.”

“Some of those girls really liked you! Give them some credit. Well yes, it was odd that Ariel’s son didn’t use his voice more, but that wasn’t your fault and you’ve overcome it,” Audrey said, finally starting to eat her salad. “Who knew Chad would’ve been right about the mermaid thing though?” 

Harry and Lonnie froze, slowly looking at each other before looking back at the two royals. Neither seemed fazed, Zale was now pushing his food around as Audrey ate. 

“Uh?” Harry questioned, waiting on some sort of explanation. 

“I know,” Audrey said, looking a little smug about it. “I was the first one he told.”

“She came over to my house to swim and it was at the time when I had a hard time controlling it,” Zale explained to Harry, rolling his eyes. “She was an accidental first with this thing, but she’s surprisingly kept it hush hush.”

“It’s not like I’d get anything out of telling anyone, except making your life miserable,” she said in between bites of her food. “Plus, you’ll end up being on my side about a lot of future issues our kingdoms face. It’s important to have an ally.” 

“Do you just disagree with Ben because you’re mad at him?” Lonnie asked and Audrey shot her a look.

“I am over that. I’ll be my own queen. Ben and I didn’t have that much in common anyway, so it would have been a boring marriage,” she said though Harry could tell she was still a little hurt. At first he thought it was funny, but now he felt bad for her. It wasn’t as if she was completely faultless, but to have your boyfriend taken from you in front of the whole school would hurt. 

“Girl power,” Zale said and began eating his fries again. “Unless your grandma decides to set you up with some prince,” he added, biting into a fry. 

“Your parents might do that to you too! If they do, let’s make a pact to marry each other. At least our kids won’t be ugly,” Audrey said and Harry was sure she was joking, but he didn’t know her well enough. He didn’t think Zale and Audrey were really compatible enough to have a happy marriage. 

“I don’t have to worry about that. My parents are suckers for true love and finding your own love. My mom did risk her voice and never seeing her family again just to meet my dad so,” Zale said and Harry felt relieved. He didn’t know why. “I won’t be doing anything that extreme but it worked out and here I am.” 

“Your parents do have one of the most romantic stories,” Lonnie agreed, sighing dreamily. “I can see why girls would freak out a little when they were younger. Who wouldn’t want to marry a mer-prince when you grew up listening to the stories of the Little Mermaid?”

“Except technically I’m not a mer-prince. Sort of. I don’t even know if I’m supposed to be able to have fins or not. There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ in this situation,” Zale said, finishing up his fries.

“There wouldn’t be if you were just honest with your mother and father,” Audrey said and Lonnie nodded her head.

“Oi, or they take him away,” Harry said, not sure that his parents would be totally fine with it. “Or, they use the triton and poof! No more fins.”

“Exactly! So I might as well enjoy it while I can and then I’ll tell them,” Zale nodded his head, happy Harry took his side. “Audrey, you should really join my defense squad. People will listen to you if you tell them not to call me ‘fish stick’.”

“They’ll probably end up being more scared of me,” she said, finishing her lunch. “But I will stop bullying if I see it happen.” 

“Another member!” Lonnie exclaimed. 

\--

“Excited?” Harry asked Zale, pushing past people in the crowd to stand next to him as they waited to be let into the meeting room. 

“Nervous,” Zale whispered as a professor opened the door and they filtered in. Zale sat in between Audrey and Harry in the second row. There were seats neatly organized in rows around a large table in the middle of the room. Harry had never been in the large meeting room before, but there were a lot of places in the school he had never been to.

“Let’s see how this goes,” Uma said, taking a seat next to him. She glanced at Zale, noticing how nervous he was. “What’s with him?” 

“Uh, not a fan of crowds,” Harry replied as the professors began to silence them. 

“Good afternoon everyone! I know you will be on your bippity boppity best behavior for our guests! Allow me to introduce the members of the Council of Sidekicks!” Fairy God Mother said, standing by the table as the doors opened once more. 

“You okay?” Audrey whispered to Zale, who nodded his head. 

“My mother never called to tell me if they were coming or how long they were going to stay,” he whispered back as the dwarves entered. “So I’m not sure what I’m suppose to do after the meeting is over. I wonder if they’ll even know who I am. Oh Neptune, what if they don’t even recognize me?”

“You look just like your mother, it's amazing that the whole school doesn’t recognize you,” Audrey replied and Harry held back a snort while the animal sidekicks were introduced. 

“Aint that fishy your mum’s friend?” Harry asked as Flounder was carried in, swimming around in a small tank. Flounder smiled and waved in their direction, recognizing Zale, who smiled back at him. 

“And finally, Princesses of Atlantica,” The Fairy God Mother announced and Zale became stiff and sunk in his seat a little. “Attina, Alana, Adella Aquata, Arista, and Andrina,” she announced and Harry watched as 6 women enter, all with legs. 

“Where are their tails?” A few students murmured behind them. “Aren’t they mermaids? I wanted to see their tails.” 

“Maybe all mermaids can just change. That’s kind of freaky to think about, what if mermaids go to our school? Creepy. I bet their scales are slimy.” 

“Ugh,” Zale muttered and Harry gave him a reassuring smile as Zale’s aunts sat down. “See what I mean?” He whispered to Harry. “Freaky and creepy.” 

“Mate, don’t worry, ya got ya defense squad,” Harry nodded to Audrey and motioned to his hook. “Plus, yer knows for every person who calls ya a freak, there’s ones that think yer magical and amazin’,” he reminded Zale, making him smiled. He turned back to the council and saw 6 pairs of eyes staring at Zale. “I think ya aunts...know who ya are.” 

“I think they do too,” Zale said, still smiling, feeling a little better with Harry’s words and knowing his aunts hadn’t forgotten him. He was worried about them not remembering him but it was clear they did with how they were looking at him. They smiled and gave little waves or head nods. He hoped he got time to see them afterwards, he had missed them a lot. 

“Today we will be discussing the pollution of the North river,” Merryweather said, standing up. “It seems to be coming from an unknown source, so, let’s see how we can handle this everyone.” 

Harry had never been interested in stuff like this, but it was kind of interesting to see how everyone interacted with each other, plus, Zale looked incredibly happy. Everytime Harry looked over, Zale was smiling and in awe over his aunts. It must really hurt him to be seperate from half of his family, to not even know if they remembered him. He must’ve felt forgotten by his family, and an outsider to his friends. That wasn’t fair. 

“What?” Zale whispered, noticing that Harry was staring at him. “Something wrong?”

There was a lot wrong, but he agreed he’d help Zale make it right, or at least part of it right.

“Peachy,” Harry replied and looked back to the council.

Now he had 6 pairs of eyes on him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a happy holiday season!

Some students mulled around for a bit after the meeting had concluded and Audrey was trying to get Zale to go talk to his aunts, but he wouldn’t move from his spot. Merryweather, Fauna, and Flora were with them, trying to give Zale some courage. 

“People are going to notice how weird we’re acting! I’d rather meet them somewhere else, not with tons of people,” he argued with her. Uma had left with Evie a few minutes ago and had wanted Harry to follow, but he felt bad leaving Zale with the princess and the three fairies, so he stayed. 

It was weird seeing Chad sitting at the table, talking to three mice, but Harry couldn’t say much since his best friend was a mermaid. Fairy God Mother began ushering other students out of the room who had no relations or ties to the side kicks. Almost in an instance, the door to the room shut and all of Zale’s aunts were surrounding him. 

“Your hair! Still as red as ever!”

“You’ve gotten so tall! Almost as tall as father!”

“I saw you talking! You talk more now!”

“You don’t have those cute chubby baby cheeks anymore.” 

“Well it has been almost a decade since you last saw me,” Zale got out between their questions and statements, being pulled in every direction for a hug or a look over. Harry and Audrey tried not to laugh, but it was funny to see them fawning over him and how embarrassed he was. His cheeks were getting red. “A-Aunties please my hair is delicate don’t pull on it.” 

“I can’t believe it hasn’t changed shades,” Alana said to Attina, both surprised. “Anyway! We need to go to lunch before we get back. We want to know everything!” She hooked her arm through his, smiling at him. “How’s school?”

“Any girlfriends?”

“Any boyfriends?”

“Are you still on swim team?” 

Harry watched them pull him out in a flurry of questions and hand gestures and he could only smile at how flushed Zale was, but how happy he looked. 

\--

“Your mother has been promising to come visit! When is she coming down?” Adella asked and Zale shrugged, sipping at his water. They were seated a large circular table, and every aunt was staring at him. He forgot how overwhelming they could be, but he had missed it. 

“I’m not allowed to discuss anything related to the ocean with her, how would I know? Don’t you talk to her on the shellphone?” Zale questioned and they all sighed and looked at each other. Attina reached over and patted his hand, giving him a sympathetic look. “Why can’t I go to the ocean?”

“Your mother is just worried for you safety,” Attina said and the other sisters agreed. “I promise when you graduate, she’ll explain everything to you. She knows how difficult school has been for you.”

“She doesn’t want to overload you, and I promise Zale, she has good reasons for what she does,” Aquata added, smiling at him. 

“Well, I don’t know about that. I think it’s silly to keep him out of the ocean,” Andrina said, disagreeing with her two sisters. “He belongs in the water, we all know that.” 

“Not until he’s 18 and graduated,” Attina argued, shaking her head. “If your little girl wants to walk on land, would you let her?”

“That’s different, she’s not part human,” Andrina replied. 

“I have a cousin?” Zale asked, surprised by this news. 

“You have a lot of cousins,” Andrina smiled, looking at him. “And they know all about you, don’t worry. You will get to meet them.” 

“When Ariel thinks he’s ready,” Aquata said and Andrina rolled her eyes. “He’s not your son, Andrina, so you can’t parent for Ariel and Eric. If they believe it is in his best interest, then so be it. He’s got a lot going on in his life, and you know about the bullies.”

“My mom really tells you everything but tells me nothing,” he sighed through his nose, irritated. 

“She should explain things to you. I know she wants to protect you, but you not knowing is dangerous,” Adella spoke up. “Daddy tried to keep Ariel in the dark, and look what she did! You know that girl that was sitting next to the boy that kept staring at Zale with a goofy smile was Uma! Ursula’s daughter.” 

“Wait, what boy?” Zale asked though he wasn’t heard by his aunts.

“I didn’t realize she was already attending school. Do you think she knows about Zale?”

“That’s not fair to assume she is like her mother, or that Zale would do something like that.” 

“Hold on!” Zale exclaimed, stopping them from talking over each other. “One at a time oh my Neptune how does grandfather deal with this all the time?”

“By yelling,” Attina said, eyeing him. 

“Uma hasn’t bothered me, and I don’t think she will. She doesn’t know who I am,” Zale said, answering some of their questions. 

“Good, but who was that boy?” Arista asked and all of them turned to look at him at the same time. “The one with the real pretty eyes?” 

“Harry?” He questioned and regretted saying anything when there were 6 smirks directed at him. He should’ve questioned who had the pretty eyes, but Harry had some of the prettiest eyes he had ever seen. He would never say that out loud because just thinking it was embarrassing enough. “Y-You said he was the one sitting next to me.”

“Harry?” Arista questioned, almost singing his name. “The one who kept looking at you and was totally in awe over you?” 

“Okay, maybe that wasn’t Harry,” Zale said, shaking his head. “He only looks in awe when I’m swimming because of-” he stopped himself, realizing he had made a huge mistake. He was just so flustered and there was a lot going on mentally. 

“Because of?” Attina questioned, getting serious. 

“No way,” Arista said, shaking her head. “Oh my god, Ariel is going to flip!” 

“Not what you’re thinking, whatever it is!” Zale stopped her, not knowing where the train of thought was going but he figured it was safer to stop it then to let it go. 

“So he doesn’t like you? He’s not your boyfriend?” Arista questioned, seeming upset. “But you two would be so cute.”

“What? Boyfriends?! Noooo, no, Harry Hook in no way likes me like that, promise! We just became friends a couple of months ago,” Zale wanted to feel relieved that they didn’t guess about the fin thing, but maybe this was worse. They would definitely tell his mother about Harry. 

“Hook? As in Captain Hook?” Alana questioned and Zale nodded his head. “So he knows about us?” 

“Yes, he does, but so does Jane and Lonnie. I tell those I trust, and eventually the whole school will know,” Zale said, watching how they looked at each other before they looked back at him. “What?” 

“Well it’s just, Uma spoke to him a lot during the meeting. I imagine that they’re friends,” Attina said. 

“They are close friends, but I trust Harry.” 

“We know, but he could tell Uma, and I’m sure you’ve told him about the no ocean rule?” Aquata questioned and Zale nodded his head. “What if he tells her and she tries to trick you?” 

“What?” He furrowed his brows, not liking where this was going. Harry wouldn’t do that to him. Plus, what would Uma get out of that? Was it really such a big deal if he went to the ocean? 

“We just don’t want you to do something desperate to get to the sea, your time will come,” Alana said and Zale shook his head. 

“I’m not that desperate and Harry wouldn’t betray me!” Zale exclaimed, starting to get upset. He couldn’t second guess this friendship with Harry. He couldn't question all of his friendships again. He didn’t want to harden himself against the world. That’s exactly what his grandfather did, and that only hurt him and his daughters. “And Uma wouldn’t trick me. If I want to go to the ocean then I’ll find my own way.” 

“We’re not trying to upset you but-“

“Then stop, please,” he begged, looking at the plate in front of him. “I don’t want to think my friends are always going to stab me in the back anymore or are using me, I’m tired of it. Just let me trust him, please?” He took in a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. They were just worried about him, he shouldn’t be mad at them. They didn’t know Harry like he did. “Let’s just eat and enjoy ourselves before you all have to leave again.”

\---

“Ahoy there,” Harry greeted Zale, slinging an arm around the redhead’s shoulder when he approached him from behind in the hallway the next day. “Ain’t heard from ya yesterday, everythin’ went okay?” 

“Oh, yes. It was nice to see them again,” Zale said. He had enjoyed the rest of his time with his Aunts, but after they left, he had laid in bed moping, thinking about what they said. “Turns out I have a lot of cousins and they all know me.”

“That’s great!” Harry grinned at him and Zale mustered up a small smile. 

“When I graduate, apparently then my mother will tell me everything, but that’s still half a year away,” he sighed, looking to the ground. Harry shot him a questioning look, obviously knowing something was bothering him. They continued walking to class, but now in silence. Zale was staring at the ground, trying to ignore Harry’s looks. 

“Bubbles? Ain’t goin’ tell me more?” Harry questioned and Zale bit his lip and fiddled with his hands anxiously. He didn’t want to tell Harry and hurt his feelings, but he didn’t want to worry about this, to have some small part of his brain tell him this friendship wasn’t as real as Zale thought it was.

“They think I’m so desperate to go to the ocean that I would resort to dangerous magic to get there.”

“What?” Harry asked, almost stopping in the hallway. “What sort of dangerous magic? And why?”

“Uma’s,” Zale mumbled and Harry really did stop in the middle of the hallway at that. Luckily there weren’t many students around. “Like mother like son, you know? They think I’ll trade up my voice, or maybe my legs, or something else. They think Uma will try to trick me. They think you’ll trick me,” Zale said, looking away from Harry. He didn’t want to see his expression at those words. 

“That’s!? Yer know I’s won’t do that to ya, right? Uma ain’t ever do that either!” Harry exclaimed, angry. What kind of crap were they feeding Zale? He wouldn’t ever betray Zale, and Uma would never do that sort of thing now. Before, they were desperate to get off the Isle and yeah, they did some bad things, but now things are different. They helped saved Auradon! They wouldn’t do anything to screw up this second chance and Harry wouldn’t do anything to screw up his friendship with Zale. 

“Not all of them think that, and I don’t either. I know you would never do something like that, Harry,” Zale turned to face him, keeping eye contact. “My mother just really screwed up and even though it worked out in the end, it won’t always. They overworry, understandably so, but I promise I trust you.” 

“That ain’t fair,” Harry grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. He didn’t want his friendship with Zale to end because of his aunts. 

“It isn’t, but you know life is rarely fair,” Zale said, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder. He wasn’t one for touching or any PDA, but Harry was, so he hoped it helped. “Harry, you’re my best friend and I trust you with my secrets. It really hurt me last night when they suggested that you would ever do that to me, but I assured them that you would never do that.” 

“Thanks for defendin’ me honor, Bubbles,” Harry said with a sigh. “Is bein’ my friend really worth that trouble?” If the aunts reacted that way, then who knows how his mother or father would react, or his grandfather, or even the paparazzi. Harry hadn’t made a lot of good choices before coming here. It didn’t reflect on him well. 

“Of course!” Zale exclaimed and a few students gave them odd looks as they walked by. “It is, 100% Harry!” Harry felt an overwhelming amount of happiness at that, but he held back from saying anything when he noticed Zale’s saddened look. “If you don’t want to be my friend anymore though, I understand. It’s a lot of trouble, I know, and after everyone finds out about my parents, it’ll be even more trouble,” Zale trailed off, glancing at the ground before he looked back Harry. 

It wasn’t fair to drag any of his friends through his problems. They didn’t need the added stress or all the trouble he brought. 

“Shut up,” Harry said, surprising Zale. “I’s ain’t goin’ stop bein’ yer friend just cuz ya fishy aunties don’t trust me or me friends. Long as yous like me and trust me, that’s what matters, yeah?” Harry questioned, staring hard into Zale’s eyes. They were watery, like he was about to cry. Harry hated that. “You and me are best mates, ain’t no escapin’ it now. So stop mopin’ ‘bout it all. Ya got the pink princess, yer swordswoman, yer fairy, and yer pirate to stand with ya.”

“Thank you,” Zale said and used his sleeve to wipe his eyes. “I never cry, don’t judge me.”

“Awah, it’s peachy bubbles, ya can cry ‘rounds me,” Harry said softly, putting his arm around Zale’s shoulders. He wasn’t the greatest with his own emotions, but he had comforted his little sister a lot after their dad’s yelling fits. 

“I’m sorry I’m kind of a mess,” Zale said, letting out a deep breath. “Princes are suppose to be more calm and collected, but lately everything just feels so overwhelming.”

“Aye, don’t worry ya can be a mess,” Harry said, feeling bad for him. Harry didn’t have the responsibility or pressure of a crown or a kingdom. It must carry a lot of weight. “So what ya say we get sushi for lunch?”

“Are you just trying to make me feel better, or do you actually want sushi?” Zale asked as Harry kept pulling him along. 

“Maybe both, Bubbles,” Harry said with a smirk and Zale smiled, but shook his head at the pirate. “Oi, ya know yer got a pretty smile?”.

“Thank you,” Zale said, feeling embarrassed, but he knew needed to learn to how to take compliments better. “Should I compliment some feature about you?”

“I ain’t against a compliment from a Prince.” 

“Nevermind, I’m not inflating your ego.” 

\--

“If you really want to go to the ocean, what’s stopping us from taking a beach trip?” Lonnie questioned at lunch the next day, keeping her voice low. Harry raised his eyebrows and nodded his head.

“Yeah, ain’t nothin’ stoppin’ us.” 

“Do we have a vehicle?” Zale questioned and Harry made the face of ‘we can get one’ which worried Zale a bit.

“All off campus trips have to be approved by my mother, remember?” Jane asked, wondering if she should be hearing this scheming. “When she sees who's going, she’s definitely going to say no.” 

“We just leave out Bubbles and sneak ‘em on right before we leave, yeah?”

“If she sees you, me, and Lonnie, and no Zale on the request form, she’ll be suspicious,” Jane continued, not liking where this was going. “And I can’t lie to my mother.” 

“Aye but I can,” Harry said, thinking it over. “Yer know how to forge signatures?” He questioned Zale. “Get that permission slip, sign yer mum’s name, and you’ll be free to go!” 

“I could do that,” Zale mumbled to Jane’s horror. “Jane, what else am I supposed to do?”

“Wait until you’re old enough?” She questioned like it was the correct answer, and to be fair, it probably was. “Graduation is only about 7 months away. You’ve waited almost 18 years, are you telling me another 7 months will kill you?”

“Well no, bu-” 

“And what if something terrible happens? Like a sea witch steals you away, or you turn to seafoam?” Jane questioned, raising some valid points. “Why don’t you just wait another month and when your parents show up for Family Day, ask them about it? I’m sure they’ll explain it to you.” 

“Ugh,” Zale groaned, hating how much sense Jane made. “I really don’t want to turn to seafoam. That would be a pain in the butt.”

“So be patient.” 

“I’ve been patient all of my life though. Plus, we all know what will happen the second everyone finds out I’m a prince,” Zale complained, appetite lost. “Everyone will treat me different and I’ll never get any alone time, so, if by some grace from Neptune himself, I’m allowed to go to the ocean field trips, I’ll always be watched.” 

“But in 7 months, you’ll be done with school and you’ll learn about your mermaid side,” Jane continued, Harry and Lonnie stayed quiet. Both sides were making good points, and Harry didn’t want to admit it, but Jane was winning. 

“That’s such a long time though,” Zale sighed, looking away from the group. “I’ll have college or private studies, and more royal duties, and rumors and paparazzi and ugh, I bet they don’t have all of that in Atlantica.” 

“Are you saying you’d rather be a full time mermaid?” Lonnie asked and Harry didn’t like that. Was Zale really considering that?

“No, I love the land, and I am heir to my kingdom,” Zale explained and Harry sighed in relief. “Plus, I doubt I’m the heir to the underwater throne, unless none of my aunts can or want to do it, and I also have to be the oldest of the grandkids, which I doubt. I wouldn’t mind visiting there though. Guess I have other things to worry about right now.”

“A lot more,” Jane said, pulling her tablet out of her bag. “Do you know what your mother will be wearing next month? We’re trying to coordinate a color scheme.” 

“Probably green or blue, knowing her,” Zale replied, answering questions for Jane with a sad look on his face.

\--

“Aye, mate, everythin’ good?” Harry asked, catching up to him after biology class later that day. Another ocean field trip was announced and not surprisingly, Zale wasn’t given permission. 

“I’m okay, I expected that,” Zale said, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Yeah, but what ‘bout earlier?” Harry asked, referring to lunch. “Ya just...I know yer sad, can’t hide it from me, Bubbles.” 

Zale glanced at him and then looked forward again, brushing his hair out of his face. “I’m okay, thanks for asking, though.” Zale had to fight the urge to spill his worries to Harry. It was difficult, but he couldn't weigh the boy down with all of his problems. 

“Zale! Zale!” Audrey called out, from behind the two males. She hurried up to them and latched onto Zale’s arm, glaring down the students that gave her a weird look. “I just heard from Doug, who heard from Evie, who heard from Mal that there’s going to be a RoundTable Meeting at the school this month!” 

“At the school? Why?” Zale questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. RoundTable meetings were serious affairs that were held in the castle. 

“I think they want it as part of the government course, like with the sidekick meeting. They’re going to be discussing the pollution issue again and Ben’s new villain reform plan. Seems they can’t figure out the source from the North River and they think it might be occurring in the ocean too.”

“It is occuring in the ocean,” Zale whispered to her, though Harry overheard. “My aunts told me it’s been happening for a month, but Ben is more focused on the Villain plan and on the land pollution. Grandfather is not pleased, as my mom says.” 

“So what are they goin’ do?” Harry questioned, not wanting to be left out, even if he wasn’t a royal.

“I don’t know that much, mother hasn’t returned my calls yet,” Audrey said, pulling the two of them further to the side. “Some of the animals the pollution has affected have gone crazy. It’s odd but I heard Merryweather telling Fauna that pollution gets sucked up into plants or animals and disappears. To me, it sounds more like poison than your everyday pollution.”

“Like a magical source?” Zale questioned and Audrey nodded her head. “I need to call my mom, she was supposed to be going down for a visit soon but I don’t want her to get sick.” 

“Good luck, I’ll let you know when I find out more info,” with that, she was gone in a flash of pink. Zale frowned, crossing his arms. 

“What do you think could be causing it?” Zale questioned Harry, not understanding. “I doubt the RoundTable meeting with be solely focused on this, especially when no one knows much about it. Debating it in front of the student body might cause panic. What is Ben thinking?”

“Maybe it ain’t his idea? Or maybe there’s two meetin’s happenin’?” Harry suggested, not sure. This was all new to him. 

“Maybe. He’s been acting a little off lately but he and his father have never been the greatest at handling stress,” Zale said this quietly and Harry raised his brows at this. 

“Oi, ain’t it improper to gossip?” Harry questioned with a smirk and Zale rolled his eyes. 

“You take what Audrey and I tell you to the grave, Hook,” Zale playfully threatened. “Or no more swimming with the fishes.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the kudos and bookmarks!! It's really helpful to see that people are interested/enjoying this story!! Also, thanks for the comments, they mean a lot to me!! Enjoy the chapter :3

“My father is coming?” Zale questioned the Fairy God Mother, though he wasn’t very surprised by this part. He was in her office with the other Royals. Most of them were dressed for the beach and were irritated that they were being held up. 

“Yes, but your mother is not,” she explained as Chad groaned and she paused. “All of you may leave and enjoy the beach, shoo,” she waved them all out and Zale looked after them longingly. “The issue with your mother not coming that there is a possibility that your Grandfather might not come either, so Atlantica’s seat will be open and need representation.” 

“Then contact Attina, or Alana, or any of my 6 aunts,” Zale said, not liking where this was going. She made a face and he jumped up out of his seat. “No no no, I still have a month of freedom!” He exclaimed, stopping her from asking him to take the seat. “I am not equipped to speak on Atlantica’s behalf! I have legs, not fins!” 

“I understand that, but, we did compile a folder of information for you to look over on the off chanc-”

“Fairy God Mother, please,” Zale begged and she looked at him hard before she sighed, giving in. 

“Fine,” she sighed and then gave him a look when he took the folder.

“I still want to know what’s going on, but I just don’t think I should be the mouthpiece for a kingdom I have never been to,” he said, flipping through the folder. It seemed Ben was working on a program to bring the villains over. He wasn’t too sure about that. 

While the bridge had been opened between the Isle of the Lost and the rest of the world, people were still confined to the Isle, some of the villains,and some kids. Lady Tremaine and Mr. Smee were some of the villains already allowed off the Isle for they did not have the use of magic and weren’t as big as a threat. 

He flipped until he got to the part about the pollution. Much of the information was what Audrey already told him, but he hoped his Grandfather came so he could learn more about it and of course, see him again. 

“Know the decision is not up to me,” she said, standing from her seat. “If the King requests it..”

“Ben wouldn’t do that. My Grandfather or aunts will show up, I know it.” 

\--

Zale spent his weekend eating sushi and reviewing the folder. Between calling his dad for more information, and all the sushi he ate, he had a pretty productive work weekend. He had reviewed Ben’s villian plan and marked notes and issues he had with it. 

His biggest issue was that he hadn’t gone over it with the other kingdoms until this week at the meeting and he had already started the first steps of the plan. Zale sighed, setting his pen down. He didn’t like to be heavily involved in politics. His mother said he had the tendency to come off a bit hard headed like his grandfather and argumentative. He cared deeply about his kingdom and his people and that included those under the sea. He didn’t want to argue and debate but he knew he couldn’t sit by and let someone run over him. Being in meetings were some of the only times he made it a point for his voice to be heard, which surprised both of his parents, and himself. 

He really wished he could’ve gone with everyone to the beach. He was always missing out on social things, but, he couldn’t blame it all on his parents. Before coming to Auradon Prep, he begged his parents to get out of social engagements. He always felt so lost in a crowd of people, it was just too much for younger him. He would panic and shut down. It had taken years of speech therapy and public speaking classes to get him to be where he was now.

It just sucked that he actually had a group of friends to hang out with, who he wanted to hang out with, and he only got a few normal months with them. Harry had sent him pictures all weekend of the sunset, the sunrise, the sandcastle he and Jay had destroyed, and a picture of the bruise on his ribs where Uma had punched him for destroying her sandcastle. He was missing out on so much with everyone, especially Harry. 

He closed the folder and stood as someone knocked on the door. He didn’t think the delivery boy would get here so early but he wasn’t complaining. 

“Oh,” he said, surprised when he saw Harry there with a neatly tied cloth bag hanging off of his hook. 

“Ain’t happy to see me, Bubbles?” Harry asked as Zale stood there surprised. 

“I thought you guys would be back later,” he stepped aside and Harry walked in, shutting the door behind him. “This is a nice surprise though,” he said with a small smile. “Why are you back so early?”

“Got a bit stormy on the coast,” Harry said with a shrug. He looked at Zale and tilted his head, seeing the pathetic smile. He had been so happy to see Zale again that he dumped his stuff off at his room and came straight here, but it seemed Zale was still not feeling the greatest. “Still a bit gloomy?”

“No, I’m over that lunch debate with Jane, she made fair points,” Zale said, rubbing his eyes. “I was given the news that at the Round Table meeting, there is a slim possibility that I have to represent Atlantica,” he said and Harry paused and looked at him with wide eyes. “I doubt Ben would call upon me to do that. I really, really doubt it, so I’m not worried. I did get a folder of what we’ll be discussing at the meeting so that had filled the void this weekend.”

“That’s a mouthful,” Harry said, lowering his hooked hand. “Guess my present to ya won’t be nearly as excited as that folder,” he teased, smirking when Zale’s eyes snapped to him.

“You got me something?” Zale asked, all attention on Harry now. Harry lifted up his hook again and held out the small cloth bag out to him. Zale took it and unwrapped it, eyes wide as he pulled out a woven bracelet. “Oh hey, Harry, I love this,” Zale said, admiring the shells woven into it. 

“Gil helped me pick that out for you,” Harry said as Zale slipped it on, smiling at it. He was pleased with Zale’s reaction. He felt bad leaving him behind again, but there wasn’t much he could do except bring him a present and send him lots of photos. “The small jar of salt water is from Gil, all his idea,” Harry said when Zale saw the small jar with water inside of it. There were bits of sand floating about too. 

“I wonder if it smells like the ocean,” Zale set the cloth down and took off the lid. He brought it up to his nose and took a sniff as there was knocking at the door. He jumped, some water from the jar splashed his face due to his movements. “Ugh,” he grunted and put the lid back on. 

“Ya good?” Harry laughed at it, amused with what just happened. 

“Actually, something feels….” Zale said and felt wobbly. He stumbled and fell to the floor as his legs turn into a tail. “H-Harry?!” He gripped the bottle in his hand and tried to will the tail away, but it wouldn’t disappear. He looked at his tail and then to Harry, panicked. 

“Woah!” Harry took a step back, looking down at Zale in his mermaid form. He had larger gills on his neck and more scales down by his wrists. His ears looked like they had small fins on the tips of them and there were few scales on the sides of his face. “Mate, what’s with the new look and the sudden tail?”

“New look? I didn’t do this,” Zale replied as the knocking on the door started again. “Oh no.”

“Zale?” They both heard the Fairy God Mother and Harry groaned and kneeled down, putting his hands under Zale.

“What are you doing?” Zale whispered as Harry grunted and lifted him up. How strong was Harry that he could lift Zale and his tail? Zale was incredibly impressed. 

Now was not the time to be fawning over Harry’s arms, though. 

“I gotta hide ya mate,” he carried him into the bathroom and laid him on the floor before he shut the door behind him and ran to the door. “Ahoy there,” he said as he opened the door. The Fairy God Mother was there, along with a delivery boy. 

“Sushi for Zale?” The male said and Harry took the food and signed for it, one less person to worry about. 

“Where is Zale?” Fairy God Mother asked, not that surprised to see Harry here. 

“Zale?” Harry questioned and cursed himself for playing too dumb. “Oh yah yah Bubbles in the loo,” he nodded towards the closed bathroom door. “I can let ‘em know ya came ‘rounds though.” 

“I suppose I’ll just speak to him tomorrow. Have a bibbity bobbity good night,” she said, leaving. Harry shut the door and sighed loudly, thankful she didn’t try to come in. He set the food on Zale’s coffee table and went over to the bathroom and opened the door. 

Zale had moved to sit up now and was examining his arms as Harry entered the room. 

“So, ya didn’t do this?” Harry questioned, looking him over. 

“No, and I don’t understand the new additions,” he mumbled, feeling the fins on his ears. “What could’ve caused this? All I did-OH!” He exclaimed, holding up the small jar of salt water so Harry could see it. 

“The salt water!” Harry said, taking it from Zale. “It splashed ya, right?”

“It must’ve caused this reaction! That’s why my mother doesn’t want me getting into the ocean, I’ll automatically turn into a mermaid,” Zale felt relieved that now he knew why he was forced to distance himself from the sea, but the tail was still an issue. What if it didn’t go away? 

“Oi, here,” Harry grabbed a towel and handed it to him. “Try wipin’ off the water.” 

“Maybe that’ll help,” Zale rubbed his face, then took off his shirt since it had gotten water on it too and dried his chest off. “More scales?” he questioned, seeing that along his gills, more scales had appeared. “You know, in the depiction of my mom as a mermaid, she literally just has a human torso and the tail.”

“Ya, but, yer gills, scales, and fins make more sense for a water creature,” Harry said, guessing artists took a lot of liberties with their artwork. Zale flopped his tail and sighed, looking up at Harry. He looked so sad, the fins on his ears were droopy and he was frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just...I’m scared,” Zale said, putting his hands to his face as he leaned against the tub. “I’ve been hiding this secret for five years now and it just keeps getting worse. I’m too scared to ask my mom and risk losing them, but I’m scared of having them. I’m scared of what they’re going to bring and I don’t know? Sometimes I wish I had never tried to hide who I was, but I was just so unhappy before,” Zale admitted. “I have been happier this past few years and I guess I’m scared of the consequences of hiding who I was. I’m sorry that I’m always like this around you,” Zale kept his palms pressed to his face, too embarrassed to look at Harry. “I need to get this under control, I shouldn’t be scared.” 

“Bubbles,” Harry said and knelt down next to him. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ scared,” he said. Harry wasn’t the best at comforting people. He didn’t grow up in that kind of environment. The kindest person he knew on the Isle was Yen Sid, the teacher at their school, and Harry hadn’t been the kindest to him. Still, he was going to try and comfort Zale how Harry would want to be comforted. “Ya got lots on yer plate, but don’t go feelin’ like ya gotta hide yer problems from me, yeah?”

“You sure?” Zale questioned, peaking over his fingers to look at Harry. He felt so exposed and raw and normally he would be dying to get out of the situation, to run and hide by himself, but with Harry, he felt safe. He didn’t need to hide, and that was terrifying. 

“Yeah, of course. Look, I ain’t goin’ say I’m in touch with my emotions, but, I know holdin’ ‘em in ain’t helpful,” Harry said, looking at Zale’s expression, how small and hurt and scared he looked. Harry really hated seeing him like this, but he was happy Zale felt comfortable showing this side to him. “Now, c’mon,” Harry said, lifting him up slowly. Zale rested his head on Harry’s shoulder and sighed. “Can’t solve all yer problems except one right now,” he said as he carried him out of the bathroom and over to his couch. 

Harry felt bad for Zale, all of the weight he carried. Harry felt like he knew so much about Zale, but not nearly as much as he wanted to. He set him down on the couch, and grabbed the takeout containers out of the bag, handing one to Zale. Harry lifted up the tail and took a seat, letting it rest in his lap, and opened up his container of sushi before he flipped the tv on to some random movie. 

Good thing Zale always over ordered. 

Zale ate a couple of rolls before he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I feel better, thank you, Harry,” Zale said, then looked at his tail. He focused on it and took a deep breath and watched as his tail turned back into his legs. He looked up at Harry, who looked just as surprised as he was. “I think I was too worked up earlier to control it, but it seems that it isn’t permanent.” 

“That’s great, Bubbles, ya good to go with saltwater. One less fear.”

“Okay, so, what we know: Salt water turns me into an even freakier looking mermaid which is what I think all salt water mermaids look like, the fins and everything will go away, I just need to be dry and give it a few minutes and, I won’t turn into seafoam which is a bonus.”

“Oi oi, back up,” Harry said, patting Zale’s legs to get his attention. “Ya definitely ain’t ugly or freaky, in fact, ya look good in that saltwater form,” he said, thinking of how the golden scales on his face made his eyes look brighter. “Told ya before and I’s tell ya ‘gain, ya ain’t a freak and ya ain’t freaky lookin’.” 

“Thank you,” Zale said and Harry saw the soft smile Zale shot the floor. Harry wished he could’ve came to the beach, he could only imagine how happy Zale would’ve been there. “I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I’m not a freak, you’re right, and knowing all of this, about sea water and my fins, it takes a lot of stress off of me. I won’t turn into seafoam if I touch salt water, which truly that had been bothering me a lot this weekend, and it wasn’t permanent.” 

“So, beach trip ain’t deadly,” Harry said, picking up a roll and eating it. 

“It isn’t. I want to learn more about it though. It doesn’t make sense why it was hidden from me, though I understand keeping me off of the school trips,” Zale said, biting into a roll. “Ugh, why does everything happen at once? This stupid Round Table meeting, then this!” 

“Ya got me Bubbles, don’t worry,” Harry said smiled over at Zale, heart beating hard against his chest when Zale smiled back at him. 

He had missed the Prince a lot this weekend, more so than the previous beach trip. He kept thinking back to what Uma had said before, about having someone to take cute selfies with and build sandcastles with and walk the beach with. Throughout the trip, he imagined doing those types of things with Zale and he realized how big of a part Zale played in his life now, which was crazy to Harry since he had only known him for a handful of months 

It freaked him out. He had never felt this way towards someone before and especially not someone like Zale. He had no clue what he was supposed to do, which made him panic. Half the time Harry didn’t think before he acted on his feelings, but he didn’t want to mess this up. He couldn’t mess this friendship up. 

“So, let me tell you about his villain reform plan and how I tore it to pieces in my notes,” Zale started, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

\--

“Wow, you must really like him,” Audrey said, pulling Zale out of his thoughts. He had been mindless looking and playing with the bracelet Harry had given him yesterday while Audrey ate the fries on his plate at lunch. 

It was just them today. Zale was hoping he didn’t seem hurt that Harry was eating with Uma and Gil today because he definitely wasn’t hurt. 

Okay, but only a little. 

“Who?” Zale asked, looking at Audrey, not even noticing all of his fries had been eaten already. 

“Harry Hook, who else? You spend almost everyday with him, you talk to him more than any other person, you keep looking at that bracelet he got you with this doopy smile on your face, and you were sad he didn’t sit with us,” Audrey said, watching Zale’s ears turn pink. “And you’re blushing.”

“Oh stop that,” Zale rolled his eyes and looked down at his plate, frowning at the spot his french fries used to be. “He’s just my best friend, that’s all.”

“That’s all? Come on, you know you can tell me and I won’t tell,” Audrey said, leaning across the table to whisper this. 

“There’s nothing to tell?” Zale wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear. “He’s my best friend and yeah I was bummed out he couldn’t sit with us and yeah I was smiling at the bracelet because it was very thoughtful!”

“So there’s nothing going on? Just best friends?” 

“Yes, just best friends. I might confide in him more than you or Jane or Lonnie but…” Zale shrugged, glancing over at Harry. “I dunno, you know I am normally not very open.”

“It took me a year for you to tell me what your favorite color was, so yes, I do know.” 

“I didn’t want you to ruin it for me,” Zale said and Audrey rolled her eyes at this. “Anyway, I’m not like that with Harry and it’s odd and awful. I feel like I’m always a mess around him but he doesn’t seem to mind? I just feel out of element being so open but I know I can trust Harry.”

“That means you have a special bond with him, Zale. You don’t have to keep up a strong front or always be so reserved,” Audrey said, smiling at him. “You feel comfortable enough around him to really let down your walls. I know you feel that way with the rest of us girls but, you just feel more comfortable with him. Nothing is wrong with that.” 

“I guess you’re right,” Zale said, leaning back in his seat. “So he’s just my best friend.”

“Do you think he’s attractive?” Audrey asked, smirking as Zale pulled down his beanie to cover his ears. 

“Yeah? He is. Anyone with eyes know that,” Zale muttered, not liking the way Audrey was looking at him. She always had a way of finding things out and making Zale talk, even when he didn’t want to. In elementary school, she was the only kid who got him to talk, half the time the teacher had to go through Audrey to find out what Zale wanted. He really hated how she was able to do that, “Just because I think he’s good looking and I’m comfortable around him and talk to him about almost anything doesn’t mean I have a crush on him.”

“No, no, of course it doesn’t,” Audrey said, nodding her head. “If you had a crush on him, you would’ve spent this whole weekend missing him, and you would be happy every time you saw him, and your insides would feel like they're filled with butterflies every time he smiled at you.” 

“Exactly,” Zale said and Audrey knew she would just have to be patient. Zale didn’t see how he and Harry acted around each other, but she did. She wished she was closer to Harry so she could question him. 

Well, she could still question him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh thank you to the person who let me know I accidentally posted chapter 8 twice!!! That’s what I get for working on fanfiction at work!!
> 
> Sorry about that, here is the correct chapter!

“So,” Audrey said, appearing beside Harry in the hallway and startling him. “Going to see Zale?” 

“Yah, movie night,” he replied, wondering why she was talking to him. Normally she only spoke to him when the others were around, but she never sought him out herself. 

“You spend a lot of time with Zale,” Audrey said, watching Harry’s expression closely. He looked suspicious. “He really loves that bracelet you got him,” Audrey added and watched Harry’s expression go from suspicious to a smile. He looked so pleased with himself. There was this gentleness to his expression that Audrey had never seen before. “Oh my fairy god mother, you like him!”

“W-Woah!” Harry said. How was she able to figure it out so quickly? He even put some space between them at lunch to try and figure it out. 

“I can’t believe it. I thought you’d be hard to read but you really do like him, I can tell,” Audrey said and Harry yanked her out of the hallway and into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind him. 

“Why ya bein’ so loud? And why ya care who I like?” Harry asked, getting upset. 

“Are you going to make a move?!”

“Wha? Nah, stop that,” Harry said, shaking his head. “I ain’t even confirmed if I liked him or not! Yer just guessin’ and spouting off nonsense.”

“If it was nonsense, why would you pull me into an empty classroom to talk about this?” Audrey questioned, crossing her arms. 

“So not everyone hears this nonsense and start spreadin’ rumors ‘round,” Harry told her, trying to keep his wall up. He had planned to talk to Uma about this, but he already knew she would just tell him to go confess to Zale to get it over with. 

Maybe Audrey was the best person to talk to about this.

“Ain’t ever like someone like him,” Harry admitted and regretted it when Audrey put her hand over her heart. “I ain’t goin’ act on ‘em, he got too much goin’ on,” Harry told her, making her frown. “‘Sides, dunno if this feelin’s will stick ‘round. Why make a fuss over temporary feelin’s?”

“Do you want them to go away?” Audrey asked and Harry didn’t know how to respond to that. He really liked Zale. He liked his personality, he liked his legs, he liked his tail, he liked it all. 

“I dunno, he might though,” Harry said, wondering how much Audrey knew about Zale’s love life. “Why mess up a friendship for nothin’?”

“Your feelings aren't ‘nothin’, Harry, and we both know that if you told Zale how you felt, it wouldn’t mess up your friendship,” Audrey said, crossing her arms. “I’m not going to rush you, just, you know, think about it. You can talk to me about it, promise I won’t spill the beans,” she said, leaving the classroom with a small victory smile. 

Harry stared after her and groaned, running his fingers through his hair. There were too many factors in this to even consider that things could work out. Even if Zale liked him back, Zale was still a Prince. If Mal struggled under the pressure of dating Ben so much that she ran away, how the hell was Harry going to survive the paparazzi and constant attention?

He didn’t want to think about all of that right now.

\--

“Hey, everything okay?” Zale said, catching up to Harry in the hallway. Harry was surprised by this, because Uma was right next to him. Zale glanced to Uma then back to Harry, a worried expression on his face. 

Harry hadn’t stayed long during their movie night, and didn’t respond to any of Zale’s text messages the rest of the night or this morning. He just wanted a little space to figure things out, but that wasn’t going too well for him. He felt guilty when he saw how worried Zale looked. 

“Yeah, mate, sorry, just felt a bit queasy last night and this mornin’,” Harry lied, knowing Uma was giving him a look but he ignored it. 

“Oh okay, just wanted to check,” Zale said, looking like he believed him. “You feeling better?”

“I’m gettin’ there, thanks Bubbles,” Harry replied as Jane called for Zale across the courtyard. “Go on, before she gets mad,” he said and Zale gave a little smile and hurried off. 

“Uh, explain,” Uma said immediately once Zale was out of earshot. “You feel fine. Did you two get into some fight?”

“Nah, that ain’t it, just,” Harry shrugged, unsure how to explain it. He could tell her, but she wouldn’t understand why he just couldn’t tell Zale. He normally didn’t care if his affections were known, but he didn’t want this getting out. 

“Just what? Like him or something?” Uma asked, not being serious as she flicked her braids over her shoulders. When Harry didn’t respond, she slowly turned to look at him. “Harry Hook, do you have a crush?”

“Shush shush,” he said, frowning. He already had to go through this with Audrey, he didn’t want to have to do it again.

“Oh relax, everyone in the school knows something is going on between you two, and who cares?” Uma said, crossing her arms across her chest. “Normally you’d be flirting his pants off like most days, what gives?” Harry wanted to argue against that, but he did flirt with Zale a lot. That was just his personality though. He was a flirt and he never really thought about it until now. 

“He’s just...gotta lots of responsibilities,” Harry said, trying to get advice without spilling Zale’s identity. “Ain’t got time for a relationship, ‘sides, ain’t even know if he’s into guys.”

“Psh, if he wants to be with you, he’ll make time,” Uma said, looking over at Zale. It looked like Jane was asking him a lot of questions and was taking notes on his answers. “Why don’t you ask him then?”

“Aye, guess I can,” Harry said. Uma made it sound so easy, but that’s because she didn’t know who Zale was. 

“Ain’t that hard. Hm, I knew you would end up liking him. He’s your type,” Uma said with a smirk and Harry shot her a questioning look. “He’s shy and cute.” 

“Yeah, he is,” Harry said with a little smile, watching Zale. He had his head tilted while he looked down at Jane’s tablet. She was going a mile a minute and Zale was just standing there, taking it all in. 

“Are you going to start acting like some love-sick fool?” Uma questioned and Harry smiled at her, knowing it would annoy her. 

“Just to bug ya,” he said, feeling better. “He’s got real pretty eyes.”

“I’m leaving,” she said and walked off quickly down the hall. Harry followed after her, laughing. “So, is he still shy or are you just keeping him from talking to me because you don’t want me to tell him embarrassing stories of you?” 

Zale had been warming up to Uma, Harry liked to think it was Zale trying to show Harry he wasn’t scared of his best friend. He would acknowledge her if she was around, he didn’t dodge her in the hallways, but he didn’t start conversations with her, or really talk to her at all. He knew Zale did it because he thought Uma was too smart, that should would figure out who he was, and despite Harry’s efforts, Zale didn’t trust her with that secret. 

“Aye, both?” Harry questioned, not sure what to say. Once Family Day came around, Uma would know. Zale had finally accepted this, though he was happy he had least knew when it would happen so he could prepare mentally. “It’s...complicated?” 

“Oh so you know?” Uma turned to look at him, and he felt guilty. He didn’t like keeping things from his best friend but he had promised Zale. 

“Sort of,” he shrugged, even though he fully knew. “Trust me Uma, if I could tell ya, I woulds.”

“You must really like him.” Uma said, looking at Harry. She had never seen Harry so serious about someone before. 

“I dunno” Harry said, glancing over at Zale, who was still discussing things with Jane. Zale looked a little frustrated, Harry could tell by his slight frown and arch of his eyebrows. He was trying to be patient, he knew Jane was stressed out so Zale wouldn’t take it out on her, but it was clear, at least to Harry, that Zale was starting to feel the pressure of Family Day with each question Jane asked him. 

Zale let out a sigh and looked up, noticing Harry was staring at him. Zale shot him a smile and Harry smiled back, waving his hook at Zale, which he knew would make him chuckle, and it did. Harry didn’t understand it, how a smile from Zale made him feel so many things at once. He felt happy at Zale’s reaction, but he felt a little nervous too. 

“You’ve got it real bad,” Uma said from beside him, watching this interaction. 

“Oi, I think I do.”

\--

Zale hurried down the hallway, trying not to break into a run. He was super late for swim practice and it wasn’t even his fault. Jane just had so many questions and he knew she was stressed out, but so was he! 

The RoundTable meeting was in a few days, and he knew it would all work out, Ben would never make him get up there to represent Atlantica, so he wasn’t stressed about that. He was stressed about Family Day. 

He knew it was coming though, and he knew what it brought, so at this point, all he could do was mentally prepare. Still, thinking logically never really helped his nerves all that much. He did feel better now that he knew Harry wasn’t avoiding him. He really thought he had done it, he had piled so much on Harry, the pirate couldn’t stand it anymore and left. That wasn’t the case, thankfully. 

“Zale!” Zale groaned as he entered the pool building. His coach was already blowing the whistle at him. He hurried into the locker room and changed, stretching as he did so. “Get in the water!” His coach yelled when he came back out. He put on his swim cap and goggles and dove into the water to start his warm up laps. 

He loved being part of the swim team. Being in water felt natural to him but he had to force himself to slow down, not to get carried away. He didn’t join the team for the medals or the praise, he just wanted to swim. 

Plus his parents told he had to join a club when he first came here so he figured swimming would be perfect. 

And it was perfect. He got to exercise and he was forced to be sociable for only a little bit. The rest of his time was spent with himself in the water. When he first enrolled, he would go to class, go to practice, go back to his dorm. Fairy God Mother was worried about him, so that’s how he met Jane. She didn’t have any friends either, so they were forced together. It worked out well in the end, so he couldn’t be too mad. Besides, Fairy God Mother was just looking out for him. He was sure he looked pathetic, always quiet, always alone. 

He didn’t want to go back to acting like that, and he refused to. 

He was in his head all through practice and he wanted to stay in longer, but the coach forced him out. He often stayed late and got there early to avoid the locker room with the other guys. They were nice, but he felt awkward. He hated showering in public, so he just grabbed his gym shirt, which was an old muscle tee he had held onto since he was 15 and put it on, keeping his swim suit on as his bottoms. 

A few other guys gave him odd looks as they went to the showers, but he slid on his shoes and headed to the door. “Have a good evening,” he said before he left, giving a small smile to his teammates. He didn’t want them to think he was unfriendly, but he knew he came off that way. 

He wished he was like his mother. She dealt with people teasing her or looking down on her from coming from the sea sometimes, but she just smiled and kept going. Making friends was so easy for her, she glided through social situations, but Zale always ended up feeling lost. He had gotten better with it the older he got, so he hoped that by the time he ruled the kingdom, he would be a master at socializing. 

He tugged his bag up onto his shoulder more as he wandered through the hallways, going the fastest way back to his room. It was a long, tiring day, and he really wanted to shower and get to bed and not worry about anything else for a while. He walked past Chad as Carlos was kicking him out of his room. He waved at Carlos and ignored Chad, but Chad followed anyway.

“So, has Audrey said anything about me?” Chad asked and Zale felt like they were back in elementary or middle school. 

“About you? No,” Zale said, continuing on to his room. 

“Really? You talk to her all the time! Or are you just saying that so I give up and you can move in on her?” Chad questioned and Zale had to hold back a laugh. Him and Audrey? Really? If he was forced to pick a princess to marry, then Audrey would be one of his top picks, but he really didn’t see her as more than a friend. Maybe like a sister?

“Chad, you know I don’t think of Audrey in that light, besides, what would I gain from lying to you about it?” Zale asked, slowing down as he got to his door. 

“To get back at me!”

“To get back at you for all those years you bullied me and spread rumors about me?” Zale asked, turning to look at Chad with an annoyed expression. “I have nothing to gain out of getting revenge, you know that’s not the type of person I am,” he turned back to his door and unlocked it. “Move on, Chad,” he shut the door before Chad could say anything further. 

He dumped all of his stuff by his bed and went to take a shower, trying to get all of the chlorine out of his hair. He loved the pool, but he hated the chlorine. It felt suffocating to him, but it was either that or a salt water pool, and he definitely could not do that. 

He was in the middle of conditioning his hair when he swore he heard his door open and shut. 

“Chad, I was serious! I don’t like Audrey like that and I’m not trying to trick you. Get out!” He called out. He didn’t hear a response so he rinsed off and stopped the shower. “Chad I swear to Neptune,” he muttered under his breath, wrapping a towel around his waist before he opened the bathroom door to his room. 

“Ahoy there, Bubbles,” Harry said, lounging on his couch, startling Zale. He was happy to see Harry instead of Chad, but then he remembered he was only in a bath towel. He gripped it tightly and turned away a little, embarrassed. “Bubbles, yer half naked when ya swim in front of me.” 

“Oh yeah,” he said, feeling dumb now. “What are you doing in here? I thought you were Chad, continuing to annoy me?”

“I heard,” Harry said, amused at Zale’s shyness. “Ain’t secretly in love with Audrey, are you?” Harry asked, because he was a little curious too. Zale didn’t talk about girls or guys in any sort of romantic way. Maybe he just wasn’t interested at all?

“What?” Zale asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “Do you think that too? Really?”

“Nah mate, just joshing with ya,” Harry replied. 

“Good, because I definitely don’t,” Zale said, going over to his dresser to pull out some clothes to put on. “She’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, and we get along, but I don’t think I could ever feel something romantic for her, you know?” He asked, pulling out some boxers, gym shorts, and a shirt. “I’ve known her for too long now.” 

“Yeah, I see that,” Harry said, trying to figure out how he should ask about it. He couldn’t just ask ‘are you gay?’ because Zale could take it as an insult or an invasion of privacy. 

“Plus, she always comes to me with guy problems,” Zale said, moving into the bathroom to change and dry off fully. “I don’t mind it because I know she likes having a guy’s opinion on things and I do talk to her about girls and guys so I guess it’s fair.”

Wait.

“Girls and guys?” Harry questioned, sitting up. Zale froze at this and slowly peaked his head out of the bathroom. He had a towel on his head, and he looked worried.

“Yeah, I like both. That’s not a problem, is it?” He asked and Harry shook his head, relief instantly washing over the both of them. “I figured it wasn’t but, you know.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with it Bubbles, I’m the same way,” Harry said and Zale smiled at him and went back to drying off his hair. Harry smiled to himself and he couldn’t stop. He was so happy at this news. “Oi, does yer parents know….ya know?” He asked because that was going to be another hurdle to cross. 

“Yes, I told my mom back in middle school when a few of my Valentines were boys and I was okay with it, well, you know,” Zale explained and put a few products in his hair before he came out of the bathroom. “What about you?”

“Nah, ain’t told my dad….he wouldn’t take it well,” Harry said, looking forward. “Isle ain’t a lovin’ place.”

“I’m sorry,” Zale said mumbled, coming over to the couch. Harry scooted over so Zale could join him on it. 

“Past is past, Bubbles, ain’t gotta worry about his opinion no more.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for the comments and kudos and bookmarks! I'm so happy people are enjoying this story! This chapter is a little bit shorter than the others, to me anyway, but I still hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading!

“You look way too happy for a Wednesday,” Uma said, leaning against her locker while Harry was at his. She was right, he couldn’t stop smiling. Last night, he and Zale just lounged on the couch and talked. Harry talked a lot about his childhood, the highs and the lows, especially the lows, and Zale sat there and listened to all of it. He’d only nod his head, or give Harry comforting pats on his leg or shoulder. 

It felt good to let everything out and he knew it was safe with Zale. After all of it, Zale gave Harry a hug and it was by far one of the best, and only, hugs Harry had ever gotten. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

“Like a giddy school girl,” Uma continued and Harry frowned at her, shutting his locker. “Something good happen with Zale? That’s the only reason for how much you’ve been smiling today.”

“I knew it,” Audrey said from behind Harry, startling the both of them. “I knew it I knew it I knew it!” 

“Knew what?” Uma questioned, trying to play off the situation. Harry did appreciate that. 

“She knows,” Harry said to Uma and sighed. “She found out herself.”

“I knew you were too into him for the feelings to be fleeting. Aw, this is so cute,” Audrey said, putting a hand over her heart. “I’ve never liked any of the people that liked Zale, so you’re the first.”

“Not like he really needs your approval,” Uma crossed her arms and Audrey made it a point to ignore her comment. “Go ask Zale if he likes Harry so we can get this over with.”

“Zale doesn’t work that way,” Audrey said, frowning. “He’s a very slow person, you know why,” she said to Harry and he nodded his head. “He’s very reserved about his feelings and he’s very guarded. Just be patient with him, okay? He is my best friend, and I do care about him a lot.”

“I know, I know,” Harry said, not liking that he was stuck in between them. Uma didn’t know half of the story, she didn’t know Zale, so some of her advice wouldn’t fit the situation at all, but he didn’t want to brush her off for Audrey’s advice. “I thank ya for the help, but, I ain’t makin’ moves anytime soon,” Harry told the both of them, hoping to get himself out of this. 

“Chad won’t leave me alone,” Zale said and all three of them were startled by this. He was standing behind Audrey, with a small frown. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare any of you.” 

“It’s fine, Bubbles. Oi, ya, I see Chad comin’ this way,” Harry said, seeing the male rapidly approaching. He was thankful for Chad at this moment to get him out of this situation. 

“He followed me from my room. All. The. Way. Here,” he told Audrey, giving her wide eyes. “So you can imagine how great my day is going right now. I’m going to go hide.”

“Zale, we’re almost adults! You can’t just hide from him,” Audrey said and Zale shot her a look before stepping around her. There was a low rumble of thunder from the sky and Uma furrowed her brows, looking at the clear sky. 

“Uh, was it supposed to rain today?” She asked, though it went unnoticed as Chad got closer.

“I can and I will keep doing it until he LEAVES ME ALONE!” He shouted back at Chad, who picked up his pace as he closed in on Zale. “It's elementary school all over again,” he mumbled, hurrying past Harry and Uma as another rumble of thunder was heard and the sky began to darken. 

“At least he doesn’t have sand,” Ben said, stepping out and blocking Zale’s path. Zale ran into him and Chad ran into the back of Zale. “Hello Uma, Harry,” he said, turning to look at the two. 

“Hiya Beastie,” Harry nodded to him and smirked at Zale, who was shrugging Chad off of him.

“Pardon me, but I need to borrow these three,” Ben said and Uma tilted her head, confused as to why Ben needed Zale. 

“Ugh,” Chad groaned and Audrey rolled her eyes at that before moving to stand next to Zale. “I need Zale to teach me how to do a backflip off the diving board. If I start practicing now I’ll be a hit at the summer pool parties.”

“I wouldn’t teach you that anyway. Chad,do you even know how to swim?” Zale questioned, turning to look at Chad. Uma held back a laugh and turned to face Harry. She hadn’t seen Zale this vocal so close to her before, it was entertaining. 

“Sort of,” Chad said and Zale just turned away from him to look at Ben. 

“Maybe after this Zale can teach you,” Ben said, walking away while the others followed. 

“Not teaching him!” Zale exclaimed before lowering his voice again, realizing he was drawing attention to the four.

“Wasn’t expecting all of that, and King Benny to leave the castle to pay us a visit,” Uma said, looking after them. “Wonder why he wants all of them?”

“Who knows?” Harry said with a shrug, playing it off. “Auradon Kids are a mystery. Time for remedial goodness,” he did not want to linger on that topic any longer.

“Ugh. Also, what was Audrey’s deal?” Uma questioned while they started to head to class. 

“Ay? Protective of Zale like yer with me and Gil,” Harry said and Uma shrugged. “What?” 

“Is something wrong with Zale? Like with his parents? Everything is just so secretive about him,” Uma questioned and Harry wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t his secret to tell but he didn’t want to lie to Uma. “Audrey made it seem like you had to be so gentle with him, like he would bolt and run.”

“I dunno much ‘bout it, just snippets,” Harry said truthfully. He knew Zale was a quiet child, but he didn’t know the extent of it. He never asked, he didn’t think Zale would want to talk about it. “Think he got bullied a lot,” Harry tacked on, hoping it would satisfy Uma enough that she would drop the conversation. 

“Yeah, I gathered that by the comment he made about Chad and elementary school. Hmp, that’s his business though,” Uma said, dropping the subject. She looked at the sky again before going inside, noticing the dark clouds were still there. 

\--

“Ahoy there, Bubbles,” Harry said, approaching Zale from behind later in the day. “Want to hit up the Enchanted Lake this weekend?” 

“I can’t, my dad will be around,” Zale said and Harry did a double take at his face when he got beside him.

“Oi! What the hell happened?!” He questioned, seeing that Zale had a bruise on the side of his forehead. Did someone hit him? Because if they did, they were going to regret it. “Are you okay?!”

“It was my fault,” Zale sighed, a little embarrassed to tell Harry about it. He enjoyed how Harry jumped into defense mode though, it was really sweet. “Wasn’t looking where I was going, ran into someone’s open locker trying to get away from Chad.”

“Oh...I thought yer got into a fight, I was ready to go,” Harry said, calming down. 

“Thank you for your concern,” Zale said, lightly touching the bruise. “Glad to know I tag you into a fight, not like I get into them often.” 

“Told ya Bubbles, part of the protection squad. I just gotta call up Lonnie and Audrey and we’ll take ‘em out for yous,” Harry said, wondering how Zale got this far in life sometimes. “What did beastie want with ya?”

“Just stuff about the meeting on Friday, like when our parents are coming and the works. Looks like they’re allowing paparazzi on campus that day, joy,” He sighed, shaking his head. “I really don't like them. They just crowd around me and I don’t know, I freeze up,” he felt so overwhelmed and full of anxiety with all the people shoved in his face. Whenever he had to talk to the press, one of the family guards would have to control them so they only spoke one at a time. “I think though, I can handle it now. I’ve been getting better at it and public speaking is a skill I need to have.”

“Yeah...Bubbles, can I ask ‘bout that?” Harry questioned, following Zale out into one of the courtyards at school. “I keep hearin’ ‘bout how yer didn’t talk much as a kid.” 

“I uh, I had selective mutism when I was a child,” Zale said, looking forward, not meeting Harry’s eyes. He didn’t like thinking about it, but Harry asked and he couldn’t lie, and eventually it would come up. “So, I didn’t talk much at all. It really worried my parents and it made some people think I was really weird because kids tend to talk a lot.”

“Oh…” Harry mumbled, not realizing it had been that serious. Zale always spoke to him, he found it hard to imagine a time when Zale wouldn’t even speak to his own parents. 

“I know, the son of the little mermaid is supposed to be so outgoing and fun but as a kid I was just...not. I’m much better now, I speak, but it just sucked growing up and going through speech therapy.”

“Oi, ya ain’t yer mum, Zale. Ya act fine, ain’t gotta be just like her,” Harry said and Zale turned to look at him with a grateful smile. 

“Thank you, Harry. And thank you for always making me feel better about myself, even when I’m just being self deprecating,” Zale said and Harry just smiled at him, he couldn’t control it anymore. 

“Anytime, Bubbles. Hey, how’d ya communicate if you didn’t speak much?”

“Oh, my mom knows sign language, my dad does too. They learned it in case my mom ever lost her voice again, so she taught me.”

“Sign language?” Harry questioned and Zale paused. 

“Did you not have it on the Isle?” When Harry shook his head, Zale began to move his hands and arms in odd movements. “That was me introducing myself. Sign language relies on your hands and sight, not voice or ears.”

“Woah what? Do that again!” Harry said, amazed by this. He watched Zale sign a few more things before he looked down at his own hands. “I couldn’t do that, mate, kudos to you.”

“I had to to be understood. It wasn’t so hard to learn but I had both my parents to help. If you even want to learn, I’ll teach you,” Zale offered, pleased with Harry’s reaction. 

Harry always had a way of making Zale feel so special. How did he do that? 

“I might take ya up on that offer, Bubbles,” Harry bummed shoulders with Zale. “It could be like a secret code.”

“Like a secret pirate code?” Zale questioned and Harry nodded his head. 

“Oi yeah!! Like all my old man’s maps with codes and coordinates! Ain’t findin’ the treasure unless ya know the codes,” Harry exclaimed, thinking back to when he and his sisters were younger and they would try to decipher all the codes and letters of their father’s maps. 

“Exactly! Hm, what would the treasure be? I guess learning sign language, or the ability to communicate privately in front of others?” Zale thought, lips pushed forward in thought, almost like a pout. 

“Ay, we communicate well in a crowd already, I can read yer facial expressions,” Harry said and Zale’s expression turned to one of surprise. 

“Can you really? Am I that easy?” Zale questioned. 

“Aw, nah, Bubbles, ya actually ain’t all that easy to read, I’m just talented,” Harry said with a smirk and Zale rolled his eyes, but smiled. 

“I didn’t realize how skillful you are, please forgive me,” Zale said with a mocking bow before they both turned, hearing someone call his name. There was a hulking man in a black suit standing a little ways away. He had an earpiece in and sunglasses on and looked like one of Ben's guards. 

“Oi, who are you?” Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at the man. 

“It’s okay, Harry, I know him,” Zale said, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “He’s the head of security for my family. I guess it means my dad is here.”

“He is,” the man said before looking around and seeing the area was clear, “your royal highness.”

“I’ve got to go, but, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Zale questioned, moving towards the security guard.

“Ya Bubbles, I’ll eat lunch with ya.”

“Cool, it’s a date! Wait, no, not like that,” Zale said with red cheeks. The guard looked slightly amused at Zale fumbling over his words. “You know what I meant! See you tomorrow, Harry,” Zale said and hurried over to the guard. 

\--

“You seemed very talkative to him,” Sebastian said, perched up on Chadwick’s shoulder. “Who is that boy?”

“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be with grandfather?” Zale asked the crab while keeping an eye on the surrounding area. He really didn’t need people to see he was talking to a crab. “He’s just my friend, Harry.” 

“I’m here on behalf of Atlantica,” Sebastian said and Zale frowned as they entered the dorms. There were a few more security guards around, no doubt other parents had already arrived as well. “The King will not be attending, so he sent me to aid whoever was filling in for him.”

“Oh, so which aunt is coming?” Zale asked and Chadwick and Sebastian both looked at him before continuing to Zale’s room. “Alright, guess no one knows. Might just be you up there, Sebastian.”

“Your highness, as a future lead-”

“I know my responsibilities but I won’t be leading any kingdoms for many many years so I have plenty of time to learn,” Zale said as they walked by Chad’s room. His door was open and he was speaking to mice, no doubt his mother was also in the room as well. 

“Someone has to speak on behalf of Atlantica,” Sebastian said as they got to his room. 

“But that person should have at least visited the place!” He raised his voice, then looked down as he unlocked his door. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you, I’m sorry. I just don’t think I can speak for a kingdom I have never been to.” 

“Your plan for it seems stable, though,” another voice said as they entered the room and Zale looked up to see his father with Zale’s folder in his hands. “Thanks for retrieving him, Chadwick.”

“Not a problem, your majesty,” Chadwick said and set Sebastian down on the coffee table. 

“Hey dad, so mom really isn’t coming?” He asked and shut the door behind him. 

“Afraid not, she’s down in Atlantica with your grandfather right now,” Eric said and closed the folder in his hands. “I know this isn’t what you want to do, but I’m glad you’re at least prepared to represent them if you have too. With your grandfather attending another meeting and still feeling a bit under the weather, it’s a possibility that none of your aunts can be turned human and attend the meeting.” 

“They can’t use the triton?” Zale asked, walking to the center of the room. “I just...I’ve never even set foot in the ocean before. There’s been a giant wall between it and me for almost 18 years.” 

“I know and I know this is a sore spot between you and your mother,” Eric said, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’m reading up on the pollution issue as well, so I can represent Atlantica if it’s needed. I understand why you don’t want to do it.”

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of your family,” Sebastian said, crossing his claws.

“You know I’m not ashamed of my family, Sebastian,” Zale said, looking at the crab. “Sorry for not wanting to get called a freak or fish stick again.”

“You have friends, do you not? The boy in the courtyard wouldn’t make fun of you, would he?” Sebastian said and Zale saw his father’s eyebrows raise.

“Boy in the courtyard?” 

“Yes, he looked very protective of Zale when I called for him,” Chadwick spoke, holding back a small smile. “The Prince seemed to be very comfortable around him and was showing him sign language.” 

“Is this the boy your aunts were telling Ariel about? Hook’s son?” Eric asked and Sebastian's jaw dropped.

“No no no! You must not be friends with someone from the Isle!! How dangerous! What if he is using you?” Sebastian started and Zale rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, it was Harry Hook, but he’s my best friend, I promise. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me,” Zale said, trying to get Sebastian to calm down and listen. 

“You haven’t made a new friend in a long time,” Eric said, ignoring Sebastian’s outburst. “Your mother and I would like to meet him at Family Day, then. He must be special if you’ve opened up so much to him. He apparently has ‘dreamy’ eyes too.”

“I-I never said dreamy!!! Aunt Arista said he had ‘pretty’ eyes but I never agreed,” Zale said, looking away from his father. His father loved to tease him and he would definitely tease him about Harry. “Are you going to yell at me too for being friends with him?”

“No, I trust your judgement,” Eric said and ruffled his hair. “If you like this boy with pretty eyes, then my only job is to meet him.”

“Daaadddddddddd!” Zale groaned and fell onto the couch, groaning. “It isn’t like that, why does everything think that?” Jane, Lonnie, his aunts, Audrey, and now his dad? Why did everyone think that he liked Harry? 

Of course, Harry was incredibly attractive, Zale still wasn’t over how Harry carried him not once, but twice when he was a mermaid, and yes, Zale felt safe and comfortable with Harry, but that didn’t mean he liked him. 

And even if he did like him, it would never work out. So, he wasn’t going to even give himself that option. 

“You’re so lively today,” Eric said and Zale still pouted at him, not letting him off the hook that easily. “I’m sorry for teasing you about Harry. I’ve got to go meet with Adam and the other kings for dinner, but I’ll leave Sebastian with you for protection,” Eric said, heading to the door. 

“Wait! You pulled me away from my friend just to ditch me?” Zale questioned, watching his father from the couch. “And you’re leaving me with a babysitter?”

“I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow afternoon, come on, Chadwick.”

“Dad!” Zale exclaimed as Eric left the room with Chadwick. “Ugh, unfair.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is SUPER long but that's okay I'm sure no one will complain about that lol
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!! Thank you so much for reading!!

“I spent all night with Sebastian,” Zale told Harry the next day after their class let out. 

“The crab?” Harry questioned as Chad walked by with a mouse on his shoulder. “Are we allowed to have pets now?”

“Chad made fun of me for being able to speak to fish, which we all discovered I could at our kindergarten trip the aquarium, but he talks to mice and no one teases him,” Zale complained and Harry was very interested to hear that story. “Also…..uh...my parents want to...meet you,” he mumbled, feeling embarrassed when Harry’s eyes widened as he stared at Zale. “I haven’t made a new friend in a couple of years so they’re excited and want to have lunch or dinner with you.” 

“Ya think that’s a good idea, Bubbles? Ya think they even wanna be seen with someone like me?” Harry questioned and Zale frowned. 

“They’re going to embarrass me, for sure, but yes of course I think it’s a good idea. Where you’re from doesn’t define you, and besides, you helped save Auradon and Audrey,” Zale said, bumping shoulders with Harry. “Are you worried about that? You don’t seem like the type to care about others opinions. What’s wrong?” 

“Oi, I don’t care but….it’s yer parents. If they don’t like me, ya might not be allowed to be my friend,” Harry said, worried about the role his parents would play. 

“If they don’t like you, oh well,” Zale said, shrugging. “They aren’t going to stop me from being your friend, Harry, so don’t worry about that. Besides, I think my parents will like you. Sebastian might not, but, he doesn’t like anyone when he first meets them.” 

“Ya think, Bubbles?” Harry questioned and Zale smiled at him and nodded his head. 

“Oh yeah, they’ll tell you all these embarrassing stories about me when I was younger and I’ll want to crawl away and hide, but you’ll love it,” Zale said, cheering Harry up. “They’ll tell you how I got a dolphin to shoot Chad in the face with water.” 

“Okay, ya got me Bubbles, I’ll go to dinner for that story alone,” Harry said, putting his arm around Zale’s shoulders. Zale smiled again at him and Harry felt like he was melting. Zale was just so cute, especially when he smiled at Harry. 

He was so smitten with Zale, it was disgusting, but he didn’t care. He wanted to be around him all the time and always make him laugh and smile. He wanted to fit into Zale’s life so badly and he felt that he could after hearing Zale tell him that he wouldn’t let his parents end their friendship. 

“Harry?” Zale questioned, getting Harry out of his thoughts. “You were zoning out and staring at me, everything okay?”

“Ya, Bubbles, it’s peachy.” 

\----

“How exciting this will be,” Evie said as Zale approached the small group in front of the meeting room. Mal didn’t look as excited, she actually looked nervous, but this was her first RoundTable meeting she would be sitting in on, so that was understandable. 

“It’s not that scary,” Zale told her with a small elbow nudge. He knew that she knew who he was, there was no way Ben hadn’t told his fiance. 

“Oi, gettin’ seasick queenie?” Harry asked as he came from behind with Uma and Gil. He smiled at Zale before tilting his head to look at Mal. 

“No, I’ll be fine,” she said, crossing her arms. “It’s just...Ben has been…” she trailed off, looking to the ground. 

“Ben has been what?” Uma asked, furrowing his brows. 

“There you are, Mal,” Belle said, coming out of the meeting room. “We’ve been looking for you. Pardon us, everyone, but Ben and Adam are in the backroom,” she smiled at everyone before she ushered Mal away to meet with the others before the meeting. 

“Has Ben been acting strange, Evie?” Zale asked and she shrugged, not sure. Zale didn’t like that answer, but there wasn’t much he could do by worrying about it. He already felt like a bundle of nerves. 

“I’m sure it's nothin’, Bubbles,” Harry said, moving to stand next to Zale. “Beastie probably bein’ a lil’ testy.”

“Who is being testy?” Jane asked as she approached the group with the Fairy Godmother on her heels. 

“No one better be testy today!” Fairy Godmother said and eyed Zale, suspecting him. “This is a very bippity boppity big deal! Getting to witness a RoundTable Meeting is a once in a lifetime experience for many,” she continued and Harry eyed Zale with a smirk. Zale rolled his eyes and sighed, crossing his arms as he did. “So we must all be respectful.”

“Of course,” Evie said, nodding her head as Fairy Godmother shooed them into the room. Zale saw Audrey as he entered and she waved him over. 

“Excited?” She questioned when he got closer and he only shot her a look in response. “It will be fine. You said so yourself that Ben wouldn’t call upon you to represent Atlantica, and I’m sure one of your aunts will arrive any minute now.”

“You’re right, it will be just fine,” he said, still feeling on edge. He couldn’t place it, but something just felt off. He would feel this way before he had a panic attack, but all he could do was take a few deep breaths to ease his nerves. 

“Bubbles, are ya okay? Seriously?” Harry asked, standing next to him again. Uma didn’t question it when he broke away from the group to follow Zale. “Should we leave?”

“No, it’s fine, I’m fine,” he said, mustering up a smile to help ease Harry’s worries as more people entered the room.

“It looks like it’s about to start down pouring outside,” a girl said as she walked by them with her friend. “The news said it would be sunny today so I didn't bring my umbrella.” 

“Rain is good luck, ain’t it?” Harry asked, not remembering where he had heard that from.

“On weddings,” Audrey said and he frowned at her. “But! I bet it’s good luck for today too, good thinking Harry,” she added when Zale’s smile faltered. “Let’s go sit down,” she dragged Zale over to a few empty chairs and sat down and Harry followed, sitting next to Zale. They were in the second row and had a good view of the table. There were a few cameras and reporters around the room, all excited for this opportunity. 

Zale looked down at his hands as the Fairy Godmother shushed everyone. 

“Bubbles, it’s okay,” Harry said as a low rumble of thunder was heard from above. 

“It is, I’m okay,” Zale said and nodded his head at Harry as the Fairy Godmother continued to announce the leaders and Zale smiled at his dad, who walked out with Sebastian on his shoulder and sat down next to Atlanatica’s seat. He placed Sebastian down and Zale realized that no one was there to represent Atlantica except Sebastian. “None of them showed up?” He whispered to Harry and Audrey as Mal took her seat beside Ben, who was still standing. 

“Thank you, everyone, for coming. This is a special occasion. We normally don’t allow press or onlookers to these meetings, but I think it’s important for us to be transparent with how these meetings work and what we are doing for our people,” Ben explained, looking around the room. The cameras from the press were aimed right at him. “Today I am joined by the leaders our kingdoms, with the exception of Atlantica. Normally, King Triton would be present, however, he was not able to join, nor were any of his daughters, so I must ask that his spot be covered by Prince Zale, Queen Ariel and King Eric’s son.” 

Zale froze as the entire room looked at him. He could hear the confused mummers from everyone and his hands began to shake as he imagined the cameras now pointed at him. 

“Zale,” Audrey said from beside him, snapping him back to reality. He looked around and people were still staring at him. The entire council was looking at him, a majority of them looked like they felt bad for him. He couldn’t believe Ben really did this to him. There was no point! Sebastian was far better to represent Atlantica than Zale was. Why would Ben do this?

“Bubbles,” Harry touched his shoulder and Zale sighed deeply before he stood, putting on a brave face as a loud crash of thunder shook the room. He navigated down to the floor and took a seat at Atlantica’s spot. Sebastian moved up his arm to sit on his shoulder so they could speak easier. Zale just stared forward, ignoring the cameras and stares. 

“Thank you for joining us. The first issue we will tackle is pollution,” Ben said to the group before taking a seat. 

Zale felt like he was caving in on himself, so he gripped the armrest of his chair and forced himself to sit up straight and to make eye contact with everyone. He felt so overwhelmed at the thought of what was to come after the meeting was over, when the press rushed him for information, why he hid himself, where was his mother and grandfather, all trying to get the scoop before anyone else. He would have to deal with the other students knowing who he was and he and Harry could say goodbye to their enchanted lakes swim sessions.

That really pissed him off. How could Ben just take his freedom away like that? 

“I disagree,” Zale spoke up as Ben finished his reasoning on why the rivers should be dealt with first. He took his folder from his father, grateful he brought it with him, and opened it. “It says in the research findings that the pollution from the ocean and the pollution from the river are different. So, even if we solve the river pollution, it will not change the ocean at all. You’ve done more work to clean up the rivers than you have done on the ocean.” 

“I agree,” his father said, looking to the others. “My kingdom needs the ocean, and I’m sure all of you enjoy fresh, non-toxic seafood. Yes, the pollution in the ocean seems smaller, but that is because the ocean is very large. You don’t see it, but there are multiple kingdoms in the ocean. This isn’t just for Atlantica’s safety.”

“They should care about Atlantica’s safety!” Sebastian said, shaking his claw at the council.

“I have pointed out a few mistakes and adjustments that should be made to the pollution solution plan,” Zale said, catching everyone’s attention again. He just needed to get through this meeting, then he could deal with everything else. One step at a time was all he could do. 

\--

Zale let out a breath when Ben announced that the meeting was over, but then tensed up again when he announced the press conference would be following. He was exhausted and he rose out of his seat slowly, wondering if there was a way to get himself out of this mess. 

“You did very well,” Sebastian said which made Zale feel a little better. He felt like he was overly critical, but he had been angry, furious even, with Ben, and he wanted to make him regret doing this to him. Now, however, he didn’t want to speak anymore. He felt drained. 

“Good job,” his dad said, patting his shoulder as Ben and Mal headed back into the backroom, with the other leaders following. “Only a little more, then it’s done,” his dad continued and Zale sighed at this. 

He followed his dad around the table and to the backroom, avoiding looking at anyone until the backroom door was shut behind him, silencing the crowds they had left in the room. 

“We’ll get the students out and began to set it up for the press,” one man said to Ben as Zale took a seat in a cushioned chair and hunched over, head in his hands. 

“I’m sorry this happened,” his dad said, crouching down in front of him. “I know this isn’t how you wanted this to go, and I know you’re exhausted, but, I’m going to have to ask you to push through this conference. Can you do that?” 

Zale looked up from his hands and saw his dad’s expression. He felt bad for Zale, that was clear, and he knew how difficult this was and was going to continue to be for him, but he couldn’t say much with everyone else around, and he was right. Zale had to push through this. He couldn’t act like a child anymore. He needed to act like an adult.

'I can,' Zale signed as he sat up, frowning. “I-I can,” he mumbled when a few of the others looked at him worriedly. He hated forcing himself to talk, it had been so long since he had to do it that it felt unnatural. He wanted to curl in on himself but he couldn’t. 

“A lot of the questions are going to be directed towards you,” King Charming said and Zale took a deep breath. 

'This is unfair. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go,' he signed to his father, who nodded his head in response. Now was not the time to speak the words out loud. “Words are hard for me right now. I’m worried about the press conference. What if I choke up?” 

'You will be okay. I will be there beside you, as will Sebastian,' his father signed back and Zale nodded his head. 

“Is everyone bippity boppity ready? You know how I am about being on time,” The Fairy Godmother said as she entered the room. Ben and Mal went out first, followed by his parents, and he stayed seated until it was his turn. 

Immediately there were camera flashes and he had to look down to avoid being blinded as he took a seat next to his father. His microphone was adjusted by some tech person and he pulled out his phone to set it in front of him and instantly regretted it as he saw all the incoming messages and calls and breaking news updates. He saw a few missed calls from Harry and text messages, but he couldn’t take it and flipped his phone face down. He wished he had never pulled it out because knowing he would have to go through all of those messages and voicemails felt suffocating. 

“Thank you all for being here, I am sure you have many questions, and we will try to get to all of you,” Ben started and Zale looked down, staring hard at the back of his phone as the questions started. 

He really wanted to be alone.

Or with Harry. Sitting on the couch together, eating sushi. No pressure to keep up a conversation and no secrets to hide. Just the two of them. He felt a break in the stress, in the suffocating feeling that was pushing him down, when he thought of Harry. 

“Prince Zale?” The reporter questioned and Sebastian pinched his ear, snapping Zale back to reality. The suffocation returned.

“I...sorry, repeat the question?” Zale asked as everyone stared at him. He squinted as a flash went off, then saw Fairy Godmother rushing over to the photographer to chide him. 

“Of course. All of us are wondering, why did you keep your Royal status a secret from a majority of the student body?” The reporter asked and Zale heard the heavy rains start up again against the roof of the school. Was it supposed to be raining again? Or at all?

“I do not like crowds,” he said, speaking slowly into the microphone. A few reporters chuckled but continued to look on, expecting more. “I wanted to know what it was like to not be constantly crowded. I suppose you could consider it a social experiment.” 

“For three and a half years?”

“I would have preferred longer,” Zale said before leaning back from the mic, signaling that he was done with that question. 

“I have one, for Prince Zale,” another reporter said and Zale forced himself not to grimace. His mother would never let him hear the end of it if there was a photo snapped of him grimacing. Again. “What is the state of Atlantica? Why wasn’t your grandfather or mother here?” 

“Atlantica is currently working with other underwater kingdoms to tackle the pollution issue,” Zale said, not letting the press know that his grandfather was angry with Ben that the ocean was being ignored. That would start even more questions. “My mother and grandfather felt that the matters in the meetings below the sea were more pressing at this time.” 

“What is your opinion on the state of Atlantica? Have you visited recently?” 

“I..uh, no, I have not..”

“You have yet to visit Atlantica, why?” 

“I…” he looked to his father for help, or any other King or Queen that was forced to watch him struggling around these questions. 

“I ask you save the Atlantica questions for the press conference my wife and I will hold when she returns from her visit in a couple of days. We will have more answers for you then. Thank you,” he father said, cutting in. 

Zale sunk in his seat a little, grateful his dad saved him, but still feeling hopeless. He did decently with the first two questions, but now, he wanted to shut down. He felt like running away, but he couldn’t. He had to stay. It was his duty. 

There was a crack of thunder and the lights flickered, but they continued. Zale wished the power would go out, just to end this nightmare. 

“Prince Zale, you looked surprised when King Ben asked you to join the RoundTable meetings, was that not planned? Was that a surprise?” A reporter asked and Zale froze, not expecting that question. 

“It was…” he started, looking back to his dad. How was he supposed to sit here and call out their king for throwing him under the bus? “We had planned for it at Family Day this year, but, uh, the, the sooner the better?” He didn’t mean for it to come out like a question, or to stumble through the answer, but he did the best that he could. 

“So it was a surprise?” 

“It was a surprise for the audience,” Ben stepped in and Zale wanted to leave. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, forcing himself to calm down. He looked back at the press and saw all the hands raised and he knew he couldn’t make it through this conference. 

If Ben had just waited! Why did he do this to Zale? He didn’t want it to be like this. His first conference in three years and he was going to choke. He wasn’t going to last through this and he hated it. He had been practicing and working so hard to overcome this fright, this anxiety, and if he had just known, just been prepared for that moment when Ben ruined everything, he could’ve done better. He would’ve done better. He felt anger rising in him again. This wasn’t right. 

“Prince Zale, what is your relationship with Princess Audrey? I noticed you were sitting next to her.” 

What did that have to do with pollution?! 

“She’s...she’s my friend. That, that is all,” he forced out. He hated this. He hated this so much. He felt incompetent. He knew how to speak, he could do it without fumbling and stuttering if he had just had time to process his feelings and the whole situation! 

He felt a jolt run through his body and there was a loud crack of thunder. The lights in the room went out and Zale didn’t even think as he took Sebastian off his shoulder, got up, and ran. 

He could see perfectly, he didn’t know how since he wasn’t able to see in the dark before. He dodged around reporters and out the door into the courtyard. The rain was falling hard, and his dorm was across campus, but he didn’t care. He kept running through the rain, not stopping when he ran into the dorms soaking wet, not stopping for anyone or anything . His hands were shaking as he pulled out his key. He struggled to unlock his door, but once he got it he hurried in and shut it behind him. 

He kicked off his shoes and stumbled to his bed, collapsing, wet clothes and all, onto it. He pulled his comforter around himself and finally broke down. 

\--

Harry was pacing, hard. He was worried about Zale and he couldn’t stop thinking about how panicked he looked, how scared he looked. It made Harry furious at Ben for doing that to Zale, but his fury was drowned out by concern. 

“You’re goin’ put a hole in the floor,” Uma said, crossing her arms as she watched him. “So, this was the big secret? The one I couldn’t know about?” 

Harry could tell she was mad, but he kept pacing. 

“I did not see that coming,” Evie said, crossing her legs as Jane sighed. 

“Uma, it ain’t an insult to ya,” Harry said, looking to Jane for help. 

“He’s right, Uma, truly, it wasn’t an insult to your character. Zale was scared,” Jane said, jumping in to help Harry. She was worried too, but he was with his dad, so she knew he would be alright. 

“He said that yer too smart, you’d figure it out, and don’t argue, ‘cuz ya woulda,” Harry said, finally stopping his pacing to look at his best friend. “I promise ya Uma, I would never keep stuff from ya without reason. Ain’t my secret to spill, ya saw how he looked when Ben called him out.” 

Uma didn’t say anything for a few moments before she sighed. 

“I know Harry, I understand,” she said, bringing a small amount of relief to Harry. “I am smart and I had my suspicions. Hm, yeah, he looked terrified. Think he’ll last through the conference?” Uma questioned as a loud crack of thunder was heard overhead. 

“I don’t know. I’m really worried,” Lonnie said, leaning against a table. “He’s not answering any of our messages or calls…”

“He’s overwhelmed,” Audrey said, looking down at her phone. “Almost every news source is reporting about it. They’re probably hounding him in the conference and… I don’t know if he’ll hold up.” 

Harry opened his mouth, then felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and almost dropped it when he saw Zale’s name. “Bubbles? Hey? Everythin’ okay? You okay?” He questioned and everyone went quiet, staring at him. 

“Is this Harry? Harry Hook?” A voice Harry didn’t recognize asked. “This is King Eric, Zale’s father. We lost power at the conference and Zale ran off without his phone. I can’t leave right now but I’m….I’m really worried. He wasn’t doing too well.”

“He ran off?” Harry questioned, seeing Audrey’s eyebrows raise. 

“Yes, is there anyway you could look for him? He was starting to get overwhelmed and I just want to make sure he’s okay. Chadwick is searching for him bu-”

“We’ll find him!” Harry exclaimed before hanging up. “Power went out at the conference and Zale ran off. We gotta find him.”

“Well, let’s go!” Audrey said, getting out of her seat and hurrying out of the library with the others close behind. “We need to split up!”

“Oi, I got the dorms,” Harry said.

“I’ll check the classrooms,” Uma said and Harry hugged her. “Look I know you like him so I’m going to help! Plus, I feel bad for the guy.” 

“I’ll help you search the classrooms, there’s too many to do it alone. Evie, Jane, Lonnie, you should take the West Wing, and we’ll take the East. If anyone finds him, text!” Audrey said and they headed out after Harry let Uma go. 

Harry ran down the hallway towards the dorms, ignoring the looks of students as he passed by. What if Zale had run off to the enchanted lake in this storm and fell and hit his head? What if he was hidden away in some dark corner that no one would be able to find? He was probably scared and alone and Harry hated that. It reminded him of himself when he was younger after a night of his father screaming at him. 

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the puddles of water in the dorm lobby and he slid, barely catching himself before he slammed into a wall. He followed the puddles of water when he realized they were leading him to Zale’s room, and he slowed as he reached the door. 

“Zale?” He called out, before he gently opened the door and entered the room. He saw Zale’s shoes by the couch and he shut the door behind him before he moved further into the room. “Bubbles?” He called out and saw movement on the bed. 

He walked over slowly and reached out, pulling back the comforter. Zale was there, eyes and cheeks red, tears stains on the sheets below. 

“Oh Bubbles,” Harry said as he sat on the bed. He sent off a text to the group, and to Zale’s phone so everyone would know he was okay. Zale didn’t say anything but pulled the comforter around him again and looked up at Harry. 

Zale opened his mouth but then closed it again. He pushed himself up and began signing before he stopped and sighed, looking frustrated. He gripped the sheets and tried speaking again but nothing came out. Harry saw tears of frustration forming and he reached out, brushing his hand against Zale’s cheek.

“Ya ain’t gotta speak Bubbles, ya ain’t gotta explain it all right now,” Harry told him softly and Zale began to cry, so Harry pulled him close and let Zale cry on his shoulder. “I’m sorry ya had to go through that, Bubbles, but aye, it’s over now, you’re safe now,” Zale tightened his hold on Harry and Harry just waited until he felt Zale’s hold loosen and his breath even out as he fell asleep.

Harry’s heart ached. He wanted to know what happened, what was the thing that set Zale off into this state? What caused him to run out of a press conference? 

The door opened and instinctively Harry tightened his hold on Zale until he saw Chadwick enter. Harry felt awkward as Chadwick stared at him so he slowly moved Zale off of him and onto a pillow. 

“Uh...he’s...he’s not speaking,” Harry said as he walked towards the door.

“I figured. Thank you for locating him and staying with him. The King greatly appreciates it, as do I,” Chadwick said and Harry could only nod his head before he left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter might be a little extra long, but that's okay! Thanks everyone for leaving kudos and comments, and favoriting this story! I'm so happy everyone is enjoying it!

Unsurprisingly, Harry didn’t see Zale for the rest of the day. Harry did have to deal with a few nosy classmates who wanted to know if Harry knew about Zale’s Royal blood, but they usually ran off after he glared at them. 

He had been hoping Zale had been overreacting about how people would behave after they found out about his parents, but he seemed to be right. 

Harry had watched the press conference after he left Zale’s room. It was awful, watching Zale squirm in his seat and struggle through half of the conference. Harry really couldn’t blame him for bolting. 

He checked his phone again, but still nothing from Zale. The Prince probably hadn’t even looked at his phone yet, Harry bet it was still too much for him. It had only been a few hours.

“He’s gone back home,” Mal said, approaching Harry in the hallway. She looked tired when Harry looked up at her. “He just left with his dad and Sebastian.”

“What?” Harry questioned, eyes going wide. He left? “For forever?!”

“No, he’ll be back Monday, at least, that’s what Fairy Godmother told Ben and I.”

“Oi well, glad you and beastie got the memo,” he said with an eye roll. He didn’t want to talk to Mal or Ben. He doubted that Mal had anything to do with Ben calling out Zale, but still, he didn’t think twice before walking away.

“Harry! Wait,” Mal called after him, trying to pull him to a stop as she grabbed his arm, but he kept walking, dragging her with him. “Harry, come on.”

“Nah queenie, don’t come tryin’ justify what beastie did to ma’ bubbles,” Harry told her, keeping his eyes forward.

“Do you have to give everyone a nickname?” She mumbled, still tugging on his arm. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened with Zale. I didn’t know Ben was going to do that, and if I had known, I would’ve stopped him.” 

“Don’t matter now,” Harry said, checking his phone again. He wished Zale would’ve told him that he was leaving for the weekend. “He did it and now everythin’ a mess.”

“I’m sorry, Harry. I don’t know what’s going on with Ben,” Mal said and that made Harry stop. “Ugh, finally. Ben has been acting really odd lately. At first it wasn’t so noticeable but now...I don’t know really. I’m worried it’s all the stress he’s been piling on himself.” At that, Harry rolled his eyes again.

“Like I care ‘bout beastie’s stress levels! He caused Zale to go mute again, to me! Zale always talks to me!” Harry exclaimed, glaring at her. He was furious that she would dare try to compare Ben’s issues to Zale’s. “Don’t talk to me ‘bout his stress levels when Zale isn’t talking! When Zale can’t talk because he’s overwhelmed and scared all because yer boy had to call him out.” 

“Harry!” Audrey called from behind them and they both turned to look at her. Harry felt like he was about to be yelled at for speaking to Mal like that. 

“What?”

“We’re going to see Zale. Let’s go,” Audrey said and walked off down the hallway. Harry and Mal looked at each other before Harry ran after Audrey, leaving Mal to watch them go. 

\--

“I thought ya were goin’ yell at me when ya heard me talkin’ to Mal like that,” Harry said as Audrey went through his dresser, trying to find some semblance of decent clothing. 

“Like I care,” Audrey said, pulling out another muscle tank top. “It wasn’t her fault Zale shut down, but, trying to defend Ben to you after all of that mess was just stupid. Ugh, Harry, you can’t get into the castle with these clothes!” She threw down the tank top and sighed, shaking her head. 

“Sorry I ain’t got the taste for high class fashion, or the money,” Harry said and that softened Audrey’s expression. 

“I’m sorry,” Audrey said and shut his dresser drawer. “I’m just, I’m worried about Zale. I’m sure he’s in good hands now though. I doubt he’ll want to see us today, so we’ll go over first thing tomorrow morning! I have Cheer leading practice that evening so we’ll head to his kingdom tonight so we’ll be ready to go. First though, we need to go shopping. You need a better wardrobe if you’re going to meet his parents.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“You’ll have to meet Queen Ariel and King Eric if we’re going into their home, you know that, right? Don’t you want to make a good first impression?” Audrey asked, turning to look at Harry. He looked taken aback. “Did you just think about seeing Zale and forget about everything else?”

“Oi….yah?” 

“Harry,” she rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone, texting rapidly. “We have to get you new clothes. Nothing fancy but you know, not ripped clothing. I wonder if Evie is available...no, it’ll take too long. I’m having my driver come meet us at the front of the school, so let’s go.”

“But?” Harry questioned, still reeling. “We’re not really…...going to meet his parents are we?” 

“You bet. It’d be rude to barge in without at least greeting them. Don’t worry, they always let me in!” Audrey said, grabbing his duffel bag and tossing it towards him. “Gather up some stuff! We’ve got to get going.”

\--

Harry pulled at the collar on his shirt out of irritation and nervousness. The outfit Audrey had him in really wasn’t that bad. It was just a black button down shirt with a red vest and black denim jeans, but he still felt uncomfortable. They had spent yesterday shopping before they headed to Zale’s kingdom and stayed at a way too fancy hotel before they headed out this morning. 

“Stop fidgeting,” Audrey told him as they drove up past the castle gates. “Are you really that uncomfortable? It’s very well fitted on you! Or are you just that nervous?” 

“Both?” He questioned as the limo pulled up the front and a doorman came down the steps to open the door for them. They had passed a lot of news vans on the way up here. Maybe Zale still wasn’t doing well? 

“It’ll be alright,” Audrey said as the door was opened and she was helped out. Harry followed out of the car and followed Audrey up the steps. An older man with his hair pulled back in a small ponytail was waiting for them as they approached the front doors. 

“Welcome, Princess Audrey,” the man greeted her and held open the door. He gave Harry a quizzical look as he followed Audrey in quickly. 

“Thank you, Grimsby,” She said as Harry looked around the lobby. It was big and well lit, with large windows everywhere. There were stairs that led to too many places, and closed doors everywhere. There was a bit of commotion coming from behind a pair of closed french doors to their left and Harry heard Grimsby sigh. 

“The Queen arrived home earlier this morning, they’re currently setting up for a press conference, so I do apologize for the commotion,” he continued as Harry took in the art that hung from the walls and how the walls themselves were art, painted with depictions of the ocean. Grimsby and Audrey continued to speak, Harry heard mentions of her parents, but he focused on a portrait of Zale. 

It was obviously done a few years ago, Zale looked older now and had a more defined jawline. The painted Zale looked so...sad. His eyes were empty and he lacked life. 

“Harry?” Audrey questioned, startling him as she stood beside him. “Grimsby said Zale was in his study, c’mon,” she bumped his shoulder and walked off. Both left the commotion of the lobby behind and headed down a hallway. Windows lined one side, giving a view of the wall that Ariel had had built after Zale’s birth. “Grims was all crabby about the reporters, but, Grims is always crabby. He basically runs the whole household.” 

“Oh,” Harry said, taking it all in. “Guess it’s a busy day ‘round here. Zale ain’t havin’ to talk to the press?”

“I’m not sure. It’s probably just his mother and father,” Audrey explained as she took a right turn, leading them down another hallway.

“You know your way ‘round pretty well?”

“My parents and Zale’s parents are very close. Whenever they had business here, I came along. That’s why Zale and I are so close, we grew up together. I used to come over for sleepovers a lot when we were younger. We would play hide and seek together and run all over the castle, it would drive Grims crazy!” She laughed at this and stopped at a set of doors. “Should we both go in together? Or do you want to go in alone?”

“Huh? This the study?” He questioned, looking at the doors. “We can go in together,” Harry said and Audrey frowned. “What’s the problem?”

“I want to see what his reaction will be, so you go in,” She opened the door and motioned for him to go in. He shot her a look and frowned but she grabbed his arm and pushed him in. 

Harry caught himself and glared back at Audrey before looking forward. There were shelves of books everywhere and a few tables with books piled on them. The walls were covered with tapestry and portraits, like much of the castle. 

Harry could smell the sea breeze and noticed a large open window. He saw Zale sitting by it. It looked like it was his reading nook, a seated window sill with a plush cushion, with a few books piled next to him. He was resting against the sill, arms crossed and chin resting on them as he looked out to the ocean. 

Harry felt like he shouldn’t impose on this peace, Zale looked so deep in thought. 

He was dressed in whites, dark blues, and golds, much different than what Harry was used to seeing him in, but that was to be expected when the press were roaming around his castle. 

Harry must have made some noise because Zale’s eyes snapped to him, a brief look of irritation before he realized who was intruding on his peace. 

“Harry?” Zale questioned, sitting up. Harry knew it hadn’t been long but hearing Zale say his name brought a wave of relief over him.

“Ahoy there, Bubbles, Princess and I thought we’d drop in and see how yer doin,” Harry said, approaching Zale’s spot by the window.

“Audrey is here too?” Zale looked behind him towards the now closed study door. 

“She didn’t want to overwhelm ya,” Harry said, internally groaning at how obviously Audrey was acting like a wingman. 

“Oh,” Zale looked down at his hands, staying quiet for a few moments. Harry heard the waves crashing against the shore and the seagulls crying. It made him miss the Isle, but only a little. “I’m sorry, for, uh, you know,” Zale started, not meeting Harry’s eyes. “The other day with...you know, the, uh, the, not...not speaking,” he continued and glanced at Harry before looking down again. 

“Ay, Zale, ain’t gotta apologize for that,” Harry said, taking a seat next to him on the cushioned bench. 

“It was scary, though, wasn’t it? You looked terrified and then I didn’t even answer your messages…” Zale sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “I haven’t been like that in years, it scared me, it scared my dad, so I know it had to have scared you. I’m sorry, I should’ve sent you a message or a letter or something to let you know I was okay. I was just so caught up in everything and having to come back home.” 

Harry hesitated, but reached for one of Zale’s hands. “Zale, yeah, I was scared, but I was scared cuz I ain’t a clue how to talk to ya when yer in that state. I ain’t know what happened until later and I know why ya didn’t respond to mine or anyone else’s messages, we all know how overwhelmin’ it was for ya. None of us are mad, we just wanna make sure you’re okay now,” Harry said as Zale looked up at him, his light green eyes boring into Harry’s. “I ain’t know whose ass I needed to kick, but now I do and I dunno, goin’ against the king is a hard target, but I’ll do it for ya, Bubbles,” this got a small smile out of Zale. 

“Thank you, for that, but, I don’t want you sent back to the Isle,” Zale said, putting a hand over Harry’s. Harry had to force back a wide smile. Zale already looked like he was doing a lot better. He didn’t look as tired as before. “I’ll work on answering everyone’s messages tonight, it needs to be done.”

“Oi, and, I wanna learn.” 

“Learn what?” 

“Sign language, I wanna learn!” Harry exclaimed, catching Zale by surprise. “Ya offered before and I wanna learn, even just a little so I can communicate with ya.” 

“Really?” Zale questioned and Harry nodded his head. 

“‘Course, ‘course. Then if ya don’t feel like speakin’, ya ain’t gotta. Ya can do that now, of course, ain’t ever gotta force yourself ‘round me, but, I wanna learn,” Harry said and Zale hugged him tightly, surprising Harry. 

“Thank you,” Zale said, filling Harry with warmth and nerves all over. How was Harry supposed to not have feelings for him when he acted like this? When he clung onto him so tightly, smiling into his shoulder? 

“Hey!! I know some sign language! Where's my hug?” Audrey said, bursting into the room. She was very much pouting, and it made Harry laugh, even if she did interrupt the hug. 

“Well, c’mon princess!” Harry said and she hurried over to join the hug.

\--

“Your Royal Highness, the King and Queen request your presence,” Zale turned his head, looking back at the servant who had spoken to him. 

“Sorry guys,” Zale told Audrey and Harry, who were in the middle of learning how to sign the alphabet. He stood from his seat at the table and smoothed out his white jacket. He didn’t want to head down to the press conference, but he felt so much better than he had before. 

He had tried so hard during his mini lesson with them not to have a wide smile on his face. He couldn’t even describe how happy he had been when Harry told him he wanted to learn sign language. 

For him!

For Zale! He wanted to learn for him! 

Zale wanted to tell Harry how much that meant to him, but all he could do was hug him. He was always bad at expressing himself through words. 

“Want us to come with ya, Bubbles?” Harry asked, standing and looking to Zale. 

“It’s okay, I wouldn’t want the press bothering you two,” Zale said, smiling at Harry. “Are you guys sticking around? This shouldn’t take long at all.”

“We can stay,” Audrey said with a smirk and Zale avoided looking at her. She was planning something, but he didn’t know what. 

“Great, I’ll be back in a little bit,” Zale said before he followed the servant out of the room and towards the conference room. He busied himself with fixing his jacket, trying to keep his mind blank before he was presented in front of the crowd. 

Yesterday had been….bad, but today was going to be better.

“You look in far higher spirits than this morning, your royal highness,” Grimsby said as he entered the small room that connected to the conference room. His mother and father were there, getting one last look over before the conference started. “I suppose Princess Audrey and the other friend found you?”

“Other friend?!” His mother questioned, a far too excited look on her face. “Is it the boy? Oh, it’s the boy, I can tell on your face,” she smiled widely as Zale put his hands over his face. “We have the same expressions, you can’t hide this from me.”

“Mom! This is literally the worst time,” he complained, willing himself to calm down and not get so flustered. When she got like this, he couldn’t help but get flustered. “It’s just Harry and he’s JUST a friend,” Zale said, though, part of it felt like a lie. 

He didn’t know why though. 

“Oh, Harry’s the other friend?” His dad asked, looking mildly surprised. “You’ll have to show him around the town. How long is he staying for? Is he staying here?”

“I-I don’t know, he and Audrey showed up an hour ago. I would think he would have to go back to school? But…” he shrugged, starting to calm down. “Can we discuss this later?”

“The prince is right, now is not the time, Eric,” Grimbsy said, ushering them towards the parted curtain for the press conference. 

“I want to hear about the boy with the pretty eyes though,” Ariel said and Zale groaned. 

\--

The press conference went...surprisingly okay. Maybe it shouldn’t have been such a surprise to Zale with Chadwick standing right behind him, ready to kick anyone out if they overwhelmed Zale with personal questions. 

He tried to pay attention to what his parents were saying, but had heard it all before and he couldn’t stop thinking about Harry. He really wanted to be spending time with him, instead of sitting at this press conference. 

“Your royal highness,” Chadwick said from behind, pulling him out of his thoughts when he realized the conference was ending. He bolted up, relief washing over him, and followed his parents out with a bounce in his step. 

He could go back to Harry and Audrey!

“So where are your friends?” His mother said, stopping him from running off to his friends. “I want to meet him!!”

“Mom, he’s really nervous about meeting you two and I don’t want to just spring that on him,” Zale said, though it didn’t look like either of his parents were going to give in. 

“Why is he so nervous? I’m friendly!” His mother replied with a small pout. 

“Because, you know why,” Zale said, knowing his aunts had told her everything. 

“He’s worried that we won’t like him just because he’s friend’s with Ursula’s daughter?” Ariel questioned and the servants that were near them froze for a moment before going about their business. There was the rumor mill starting up. “That’s just silly, now where is he?”

“Up in the library with Audrey,” Zale let out a defeated sigh as his mother smiled at him. 

“Cloretta, please go retrieve Zale’s friends and have them meet us in the dining hall! I’m sure they’re hungry and it would be lovely to have them join us for lunch. Please let Louis know two more will be joining us for lunch as well,” Ariel said to the head servant, who only smiled widely and hurried off.

“I guess we should go change,” Eric said and Ariel and Zale looked at each other, before they both raced up the stairs to their rooms, trying to beat each other.

“Your royal highnesses, please, don’t run!” Grimsby said, though it fell on deaf ears.

“You know they don’t like to listen,” Eric said, patting the old man’s shoulder. 

\--

“Oi, who’s this?” Harry questioned, staring up at a painting on the wall. He and Audrey both had been retrieved by a servant who had informed them they were invited for lunch. Audrey was sitting at the table, relaxed, while Harry had paced, trying to calm himself. He had distracted himself a little bit by watching the sun and the waves through the large windows that lined one side of the room, but, it didn’t help for long. 

The painted portrait on the wall caught his eye though. He was pretty sure the man was King Triton, in his earlier years for sure with the color of his hair and beard, and the pleasant smile on his face. The woman next to him, Harry wasn’t sure who she was. 

She was gorgeous, with long orange hair, and swooping bangs just like Zale. Her eyes were a soft green and her expression looked so familiar to him.

“That’s my mother, Queen Athena,” Ariel said, startling Harry as she entered the room. She came and stood by him and looked up at the photo. Harry slowly looked up at the photo again. “Us merpeople don’t have paintings, the water tends to ruin them obviously. So, the painter had to go off of our descriptions of her. I had two of these done, one for me, and one for my father, both are embedded with magic, so water won't ruin them. He says he sleeps better now with her watchful eyes.” 

“Her eyes….” Harry trailed off, looking at them. They were a soft green, with flecks of gold and blue dotting them. “They’re Zale’s eyes,” he realized now where the green came from genetically. 

“They do have the same eyes,” Ariel said, nodding her head slowly. “I’m surprised you noticed.” 

“Oi, uh, ya know,” Harry quickly looked away from her and she smiled at him. “A-Anyway, I’m Harry Hook, your majesty.”

“Oh no need for such formalities, you can just call me Ariel or Queen Ariel!” She smiled widely at him and shook his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you!!”

“You have?”

“UGH! I would’ve beat you if Grimsby hadn’t gotten in my way!” Zale said, bursting into the room, dressed in far more casual clothing now. “You sent him to slow me down! I didn’t deserve a lecture about putting my elbows on the table during a press conference.” 

“I wanted to meet your new friend first!” Ariel replied, waving Zale off as she guided Harry to the table. She left Harry on one side and went around the table to give Audrey a hug. “Hello again Audrey, it’s lovely to see you again. I’m so happy you two decided to visit! Will you be staying long?” 

“It’s lovely to see you again too, Queen Ariel,” Audrey said with a smile as Harry looked over at Zale, who looked embarrassed already. “I have to get back to school soon for cheer practice, but I got the all clear from the Fairy Godmother for Harry to stay and visit for the weekend!”

“What?” Harry questioned, furrowing his brows. “Where am I goin’ stay?” He rode in with her and he doubted her parents would want to pay for him to stay at the hotel he and Audrey stayed at last night. 

“You will stay here, of course!” Ariel said and if Harry thought she was happy before, she was over the moon now. “Oh this will be lovely! Zale, aren’t you so happy?” 

“O-of course I am! But Harry, if you don’t want to stay, don’t feel like you have to. My mother can be unknowingly forceful,” Zale said, approaching Harry. “Really, it’s okay if you don’t want to. I doubt it’ll be much fun hanging around here with me.”

“‘Course I do, Bubbles, if that’s okay?” Harry questioned, forgetting for a moment that Ariel was there until she squealed and clapped her hands together.

“I’ll let Cloretta know to get the guest room ready!!! Oh this is wonderful!” She exclaimed before she hurried off, rushing past her husband. “He’s staying over, Eric!!”

“You have made her incredibly happy and she’s only known you for five minutes,” Eric told Harry as he approached the table. “I’m King Eric, it’s nice to meet you in person,” Eric said and reached out to shake Harry’s hand. “And it’s wonderful to see you again, Audrey.” 

“Nice to meet ya too, sir,” Harry said. “Oi, well, glad that it made her that happy.” 

“Everything makes her happy, thankfully,” Eric said before he took his seat at the table. Zale took a seat by his dad and Harry sat next to him and across from Audrey. 

She looked so relaxed, but he supposed that made sense. She did come over here all the time, and she didn’t have a massive crush on Zale, or come from the Isle, or was best friend’s with the daughter of the villain that almost killed said crush’s parents. 

He let out a quiet sigh as Ariel came back in, wide smile still on her face. 

“This is just so exciting! A great way to start a wonderful day!” Ariel said, taking her seat next to her husband. “First, father is feeling much much better, then you two came to visit, the sun came out which is wonderful for the festivities this weekend in town, the press conference went swimmingly, and now you’re staying over! Things are really looking so bright.”

“I’m just glad it’s over,” Zale said while a servant came and filled up their water glasses while bringing them a salad. “This has been the worst week of my life so far. Ben being a jerk, Chad being a jerk, that horrible press conference I completely bombed. Ugh.” 

“You two had polar opposite weeks it seems,” Eric said before taking a bite of his salad. “Zale, it will be fine. I can send guards with you to school if you think it’ll be an issue.”

“No way, please, not that,” Zale said, pushing his lettuce around. “I have Harry and Audrey, and Lonnie and Jane. I’ll be fine. I just wish I had gotten a say in the matter.” 

“Don’t sweat it, Bubbles, we won’t let anyone bother ya,” Harry said and Audrey nodded her head. 

“He’s right, plus, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks,” Audrey said. “Mermaids don’t lose sleep over the opinion of shrimp.” 

“That is one way to look at it,” Ariel said and Harry caught the worried exchange of glances between her and Eric. 

So Ariel and Eric knew Zale had the skill to turn into a mermaid, but they didn’t know he knew how to do it. He wanted to find out what happened that caused it to be hidden from him, but, if Zale hadn’t found out why by now, there was a slim chance Harry could figure it out.

\--

“So, Bubbles, what are we doin’?” Harry questioned as Audrey’s limo pulled away, taking her back to school. Zale shrugged and turned to look at Harry. 

“Well, there’s this festival going on in town today and tomorrow. Now that Ben outed me, I can actually be seen around town and not worry. Would you want to go? To the festival, of course, with me,” Zale said, inwardly sighing at how he fumbled over his words. He had been feeling odd since yesterday, but, he didn’t know why.

“Sure, Bubbles!” Harry said, a little amused. “The way ya said it makes it sounds like yer askin’ me out on a date.”

“I’m sorry, I think I’m still struggling over my words,” Zale said, then took a deep breath. It was okay if he struggled with his words around Harry, though, he would understand. 

“Oi, ain’t no need to apologize! I just kiddin’ with ya,” Harry put his arm around Zale’s shoulders and pulled him in close, smiling at him. “I’d love to go to the festival with ya, mate, date or no date,” Harry watched as Zale’s ears got red. He was just too cute, Harry couldn’t help but tease him. “Lead the way?” 

“U-uh, yes, of course!” Zale said and frowned as Harry laughed at him. 

\--

“Wow, I like yer kingdom,” Harry said as he and Zale walked down a cobblestone street lined with shops. There were flowers in hanging pots off of every street lamp and tons of kids running around with balloons or treats in their hands. 

Harry couldn’t describe why, but he felt very peaceful here, like he did at the enchanted like. 

“Oh, your highness!” A woman called and Harry looked to Zale to gauge his reaction, but Zale seemed fine as the woman came out of a restaurant with two sticks of meat. “I just made these fish cakes! Enjoy them,” she said, handing one to Zale and Harry with a wide smile. She was a little older, brunette hair mixed with gray, and her smile was gentle. “Enjoy the festival, we’re so happy you’re back!” 

“They really missed you, eh?” Harry asked Zale before he examined whatever this ‘fish cake’ thing was on the stick in his hand. 

“It’s really good, trust me. She almost always has a line out the door at her restaurant,” Zale said and took a bite. “Yeah, I’m lucky. The people of my kingdom are really great. I feel bad for lying to them and hiding from them for almost four years…” He said after he swallowed his bite. 

“Seems that doesn’t matter much to them,” Harry said and took a bite. It was hot, but do delicious. “Oi I want another!” Harry said, mouth full of food. A few kids nearby laughed, while their parents gave him an odd look. 

“Good, right?” Zale asked, smiling at him. “There’s a lot of good food to try, so don’t fill up on fish cakes.”

“Is all the food here this good?” Harry questioned, continuing to eat his food, smiling when Zale nodded his head. “Mate, this is so good, how can anything top this?” Harry couldn’t believe it. He wanted a million more fishcakes on a stick. 

“Guess you’ll have to sample everything,” Zale nodded ahead of them and Harry noticed they were reaching the kingdom’s center, where a large fountain was. It had a statue of Ariel as a mermaid and King Eric in the center, with water shooting out on each level. Around the fountain were stalls upon stalls of vendors. 

It smelled delicious. 

“Is this every weekend!?” Harry questioned with wide eyes. 

“Festival weekends draw more people out, but there is normally a Saturday market,” Zale answered, pleased with how excited Harry was. He was so happy that Harry decided to stay and join him out there. He wanted to share this experience with the male. 

“This is amazing, I don’t know how you were able to stay away for so long,” Harry said as they approached the stalls. 

“It’s nice to be back,” Zale said and Harry bumped against him, smiling at him. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Of course, Bubbles, I love spendin’ time with ya, and eating delicious food,” Harry said as some of the vendors took notice of Zale.

“Your Highness!”

“Prince Zale!”

“Please, try some!”

\--

“Do they always do this?” Harry questioned once they had gotten around to about half the stalls. They found an open spot on the fountain’s edge and claimed it for themselves so they could sit and eat. Harry had an arm full of items, as did Zale. “They were so generous.” 

“I think they feel bad for me,” Zale said, setting some items down. Everyone was nice, but he could see the undying pity or sadness they felt for him. Everyone must have seen Friday’s press conference. “Because of Friday…”

“Bubbles...do ya wanna talk about that? We kinda brushed on it earlier but…” Harry mumbled, taking a bite out a honey bun. 

“There’s not much to talk about. They brought me home, I went to visit my speech therapist, he helped me talk, and talk through the anxiety of going back to school Monday, so at least I feel better about that,” the fear still gripped him though. How were people going to treat him now?

“It won’t be nearly as bad as yer thinkin’,” Harry said, shaking his head. 

“I know, I know,” Zale sighed, then froze when Harry reached out and put a hand on top of Zale’s, forcing Zale to look at him, a serious expression on his face.

“Bubbles, I promise, ain’t no one goin’ bully you and get away with it.Ya got more than just Audrey now, ya got me and Lonnie and Jane and Uma and Evie and everyone else. Even if Ben is bein’ a jerk and Chad is bein’ a dick, I ain’t goin’ back down and you shouldn’t either,” Harry said, staring into Zale’s eyes. Zale felt his face flush and he couldn’t look away from Harry’s blue eyes boring into his own. 

What was wrong with him lately?

He felt so weird, lately. Especially when he was upset, or around Harry. He didn’t understand what was going on with him. Well, he had some ideas, but he wasn’t going to tell Harry in the middle of the town. 

“Oi, why they lookin’?” Harry mumbled and Zale came back to reality and noticed a few people watching them. 

“Might be because you’re...uh you’re holding...my hand,” Zale said quietly and Harry slowly moved his hand away and went back to eating the bread. 

“Forget we ain’t at school, everyone is used to it there,” Harry said, focusing on the rest of his food. This was the first time they were hanging out in public where everyone knew exactly who Zale was. He was sure rumors were already starting. “Sorry about that, Bubbles...I didn’t really think about it.”

“It’s fine, Harry, really,” Zale said before taking a bite of another fish cake he had gotten. “I’m used to it. Before I went into hiding, there were always articles and claims floating around that I was dating Audrey. I’ve kind of accepted it? Sort of. It’s hard sometimes but I kind of have to numb to it because it happens so much. I’m just worried people might start harassing you.” 

“Aw, Bubbles, I can protect myself, don’t ‘cha worry,” Harry said, perking up a little bit. “Sorry they won’t bug off ya.”

“They need something to talk about,” Zale said with a shrug and kept eating. 

“Guess that means no more hang outs at the Enchanted Lake,” Harry said and watched Zale frown and stare hard at the ground. “Someone might follow us out there, Bubbles, and ya know…”

“Yeah,” Zale said, sighing deeply. “I know. It’ll be okay. I guess it’s fair. I lose that, but I gain back being able to be with my people,” Zale said, looking at the food they still hadn’t eaten. “I was being selfish and while I think it was good for me, and I don’t agree with Ben with how he did it, it was going to happen eventually. I’m having a lot of fun today, and while I’ll miss the enchanted lake, we can find other things to do.” 

“We can find other things, Bubbles! Let’s keep enjoyin’ the day then,” Harry said, patting his shoulder. “And I know it ain’t matter, but, I don’t think ya were bein’ selfish.”

“Thank you, Harry.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is staying safe and staying at home if possible!!! Thank you so much for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! I'm so happy people can find joy with this story!!!

“I know I’ve said it before, but I’m sorry if my mom made you feel like you had to stay over this weekend,” Zale said, walking Harry to his room after they came back from the festival that evening.

“Bubbles, like I said before, I don’t mind stayin’. It’s cool to see where ya grew up,” Harry said, nudging his elbow into Zale’s side lightly. “C’mon, lighten up a bit. Now that I’m here ya won’t be roamin’ ‘round the castle bored or lonely.”

“You’re right, thanks, and I had a ton of fun today. We can hang out more tonight, but, I’m sure you want to change and shower and get that hair product that Audrey crammed in your hair out first,” he chuckled as Harry glared at him. “I liked your outfit today, but it was very un-Harry.” 

“Ya ya, Audrey said I couldn’t meet yer folks dressed like I normally do and had some stylist do all this junk,” Harry motioned to his hair and outfit. 

“You look handsome, but, I like your normal style,” Zale said and felt his heart began to beat faster when Harry smiled at him. What was going on with him? He felt all over the place emotionally lately. 

“I do look good in almost anythin’,” Harry said as they approached his room. 

“Of course you do,” Zale rolled his eyes and opened the door for him. “My room is next door, so, just pop on over when you’re done. I think they were able to get your bag from the hotel, so all of your things should be in there.”

“Oi, thank ya kindly Bubbles. See ya in a jiffy then,” Harry said and went into his room. Zale paused for a second and heard a ‘wow’ from Harry, probably over the size of the bed, before he moved onto his room. 

He shut the door behind him, but left it unlocked for Harry to come in later. 

Zale had no clue what was going on with him lately. Other than of course the whole ‘meltdown unable to talk, everyone at school knows I’m a prince now’ situation, he felt, off. He couldn’t get over the jolt he felt a few days ago, when the power went out at school. 

He pulled out some loungewear and changed before he opened the door to his balcony and a few windows, letting some of the salty air come in as he collapsed on his bed. He hoped having Harry here would make him feel more stable. He turned on the tv and tried not to overthink anything, because over thinking always got him in trouble. 

Like how happy he was to see Harry and to learn that Harry had been worried about him and that Harry wanted to learn sign language and that he and Harry had a perfect day today and that Harry held his hand and-

“Ahoy Bubbles, that shower was amazin’!” Harry interrupted Zale’s thoughts, thankfully, and entered his room, shutting the door behind him. “You dead, mate?”

“I am alive, surprisingly,” Zale sat up and sighed. “Just thinking about things.”

“Like what?” Harry questioned, exploring Zale’s room. “Oooo mini fridge,” he said, looking back to Zale for the nod of approval before he got himself a soda. “Nice.”

“Uh, just, a lot of things. I tend to overthink.”

“I know,” Harry said, looking back at him before coming over to the bed. “What’s been goin’ on in that head of yours, Bubbles?”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” Zale said, looking down at his lap. He refused to look up even as Harry climbed onto his bed and moved to sit directly in front of him. “I didn’t want to talk about it at the festival because I didn’t want anyone over hearing and thinking I was crazy.” 

“Ya turn into a mermaid, Zale, can’t get much crazier,” Harry said and Zale took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. 

“IthinkIcausedthepowertogooutattheconference,” he said quickly and all in one breath. When he glanced up, Harry was just staring at him. 

“Pardon?”

“I-I think….I think I caused...the power to go out at the conference,” Zale said slowly and looked at Harry, who was still staring at him. “I know it sounds crazy! But I wanted the power to go out, I wanted a reason to leave, and I felt this jolt of energy in me and then it happened!” 

“Well…”Harry trailed off, still looking surprised. “That’s….not what I thought yer would say but,” Harry looked, for once, at a loss. Zale didn’t blame him, he knew he sounded crazy. 

“I’ve been feeling weird lately, since I had that run in with salt water,” Zale admitted, rubbing his arms. “And maybe it’s because I haven’t turned into a mermaid lately, maybe I just feel pent up.”

“It might be makin’ ya imagine stuff, not that I don’t believe ya Bubbles. If anyone could control the weather, it’d be you,” Harry said and Zale gave him a half smile. 

“I highly doubt I can control the weather. Maybe I should just take a bath tomorrow and let my fins out for a while? I dunno,” He mumbled and Harry patted his knee. 

“You’ve had a lot go on the past few days, ya just need to have a relaxing weekend. So, ya think maybe ya got some mermaid magic in ya? Not that surprising if ya think ‘bout who yer grandfather is,” Harry said and kept his eyes on Zale, knowing something else was bothering him. “What else is going through your head?” 

‘You.’ Zale thought but didn’t dare say that outloud. How was Zale going to tell him that most of his thoughts the past day were over how concerned Harry looked when Zale didn’t speak to him, and how he didn’t force Zale to talk, he just held onto Zale and let him cry. How was Harry so stabilizing? It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. 

Zale had never liked someone before. 

But, there was no way he liked Harry, Harry was his best friend, that was it, and there was no way Harry liked him. They were just best friends. 

“Zale?” Harry questioned, moving so Zale had to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I can see in the dark now,” Zale said. He needed to get out of his head so much. Why was he so worried about pointless things? 

“Oi, really? That’s cool! Ain’t gotta hide any of that from me, it ain’t weird. In fact, it’d be weirder if ya ain’t have some magic ‘bout you,” Harry said, giving Zale a comforting smile.

Zale felt so defenseless around Harry, but not in a bad way. He didn’t need to hide or pretend to be someone else with Harry, it was so relieving. Anyone else would’ve thought he was crazy, but not Harry. 

Never Harry. 

The relief he felt was overwhelming.

Zale refused to cry. He wasn’t going to cry. He was NOT going to cry.

“T-Thank you,” He sniffled out and Harry’s expression turned into a softer look, not one of pity. He moved his hands and patted Zale’s knee. “I’m not going to cry.”

“Awah, Bubbles, it’s okay, you can cry, I ain’t judgin’,” Harry chuckled, smiling at Zale. “Besides, who wouldn’t wanna cry in the strong arms of a handsome pirate such as myself?” 

“Strong arms? Handsome pirate?” Zale questioned and pulled back, shaking his head. “I don’t see either of those things here,” he teased, laughing to himself before he noticed Harry had a serious expression again and began to move off the bed. “Harry? You know I was jo-Hey!” Zale exclaimed as Harry pulled him off the bed and held him bridal style. 

“Strong arms, I got ‘em,” Harry said, smirking at Zale. “And I know I’m handsome.” 

“I...well,” Zale didn’t know what to say in response to him. How was he able to just lift Zale up with ease? Zale wasn’t light.

“I left ya speechless, yer royal highness?” Harry questioned, leaning closer to Zale’s face. “Enjoy gettin’ princess carried?” Zale couldn’t tell what Harry was feeling. He had never seen Harry look at anything like he how he was looking at Zale right now.

“I was just...joking,” Zale said slowly, staring at Harry. He had the prettiest eyes Zale had ever seen. They were just so blue and captivating, like the ocean. Zale hadn’t noticed before the gold rings around Harry’s pupils. He had never been close enough to notice it until now. “Harry?” He whispered as Harry leaned in closer. 

“Hm?” Harry mumbled, and Zale glanced to look at his balcony door for a split second when he saw a flash, and saw someone looking back at him. 

“There’s someone on my balcony?!” Zale exclaimed, gripping onto him as Harry turned towards the balcony to see. He pulled Zale against him tightly as there were a few rounds of flashes. “Is that the paparazzi!?” 

“We ain’t findin’ out,” Harry said as a large gust of wind blew into the room, knocking some of the curtain rods down onto the floor, bringing the curtains with them. Harry felt the gust of wind force him towards the door as it flung open. “OI!” He yelled, knowing there had to be at least a servant or security guard within shouting distance. Chadwick rounded the corner and picked up his pace when he saw Harry in the hallway holding Zale. “There’s someone on Zale’s balcony!” Harry told the guard, who immediately held out his arm and motioned for Harry to step away from the room and spoke into his mic. 

“Need backup to the Prince’s room, everyone in the area of the courtyard be on high alert for an intruder. Get the Queen and King to a safe location,” he said and within seconds two more guards showed up. One stayed with Harry and Zale while the other two entered Zale’s room. 

“Ya okay, Bubbles?” Harry questioned, still holding onto him. Harry’s heart was beating hard in his chest. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I was startled for the most part,” Zale said as he saw Chadwick clear the room and a guard began to put the curtain rods and curtains back in order, while the other shut the windows and door to the balcony. Had he caused that wind? 

“That’s terrifying,” Harry said, surprised at how quiet Zale was being in this situation. He would be raising hell if there was some person taking a picture of him on his balcony. How did the guy even climb up? 

“Zale!!” They all turned to see Ariel rushing towards them with two security guards rushing after her. Harry let Zale down and the prince was immediately engulfed in a hug from his mother. “Are you alright?!” She questioned, brushing his bangs out of his face. 

“Mom, I’m okay, really,” Zale said, trying to calm her down. “It was just some paparazzi, and I had Harry with me.”

“Good work on getting the Prince out of that situation,” Chadwick said to Harry, giving him a nod of approval. 

“Thank you Harry!” Ariel said and hugged him tightly. Harry thought it would be suffocating, but it felt good? It felt like what a hug from a mom was supposed to feel like. It had been a long time since he had felt a hug like it. “I’m so glad you’re okay, that you’re both okay. I was so worried someone had come to kidnap you!” 

“They would bring me back I’m sure,” Zale said, patting her shoulder as Chadwick pressed his earpiece. 

“Your royal highness, we’ve captured the person. It was in fact, a member of the press. We’ve destroyed his photos. We will find out how he climbed up the balcony and make sure it does not happen again.”

“Thank you, Chadwick. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind,” Ariel said, before she gave Harry and Zale a kiss on the forehead. “Please keep guards posted by their rooms tonight, it’ll help me sleep better.” 

“Of course!” The two guards who had followed Ariel said, while the other guards and Chadwick followed Ariel down the hall. 

“That was...I’m sorry,” Zale said, going back into his room. Harry followed and noticed how all of the curtains had been closed and the door to the balcony was closed and hidden behind a curtain. 

“How are you so calm about this?” 

“I didn’t want to worry my mom,” Zale sighed and sat on his bed again. “I’m thankful you were here, Harry, I’m not sure what I would’ve done. Maybe you being here is making me feel better?” Zale wasn’t going to mention the wind. There was no way he caused that. 

“If I hadn’t been holdin ya, I would’ve tackled him and crushed his phone,” Harry said, angry. “Who knows how long he was there, watching us!” Harry didn't like not knowing how long the guy had been there, what he had seen. Though, he did like that Zale felt safe with him. 

Harry had been so close to kissing Zale when he was holding him. They had been so close and Zale’s bewildered expression was so beautiful. Harry couldn’t stop staring at him, he didn’t want to stop staring at him, until that asshole ruined everything. 

He was thankful Zale saw the guy when he did. It brought Harry back to reality. If he had kissed Zale and that guy had gotten a picture of it, it would’ve been a nightmare and Zale didn’t need that right now. Especially if Zale didn’t like him back. It was like earlier at the fountain when he held his hand. He wasn’t thinking and anyone could’ve snapped a photo of it. 

“Thank you, Harry, you are my savior,” Zale said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s awful and I hate it, but it’s a part of being who I am. Mom will take care of it and all the photos were destroyed. Normally our news outlets in the kingdom are far more respectful of us, the guy must be from one outside of the kingdom…”

“Maybe I should go down there and give him a piece of my mind too,” Harry said, frowning. 

“How about instead I get milkshakes brought to us and we watch bad movies?” Zale asked and Harry pouted but nodded his head. “Much better.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the support! I hope you guys are enjoying this! We're at the half-ish way point and I'm super excited for what I have planned! Anyway, please enjoy and I hope you are all doing well!

“Sir?”

Harry groaned, not wanting to wake up. The bed was so soft, warm, and comfortable. 

“Sir? Harry? The Prince is waiting for you,” the voice said again and Harry sat up. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the maid that was standing by the door. “Good morning!” 

“Good mornin’?” He grumbled out, unsure of where he was. All of the windows had the curtains pulled back and the sun was shining through. It felt like he was still asleep. The bed was so comfortable and the scent of the ocean made him want to stay in bed and sleep. 

“The Prince is waiting for you in his room,” the maid said before leaving and Harry furrowed his brows. 

“What Prince?” Harry questioned before yawning, but the maid was already gone. He paused for a moment before his brain finally caught up to him. “Oi!” He exclaimed and pulled off the covers. He raced into the bathroom to brush his hair and teeth before coming back out to dig through his suitcase. 

“No need to rush,” Zale said, sitting on Harry’s bed, startling Harry. “I’m sorry! I sent the maid over to wake you, but she said you were a bit disoriented so I thought I’d just make the short journey here.” 

“Bubbles! Ya can’t be poppin’ up like that first thing in the mornin’!” Harry said, sitting on the floor by his suitcase. “I kinda forgot where I was when I first woke up.”

“Really?” Zale asked, watching Harry as he pulled out a shirt and pants and pulled them on. 

“Ya, not every day that I wake up in a super comfortable bed with the sounds of the ocean,” Harry said, now fully clothed and standing. Zale just chuckled at him and Harry ran his fingers through his hair. “So, what ya got planned for us today?”

“The festival’s still going on, I thought you’d like to head back and try more food?” Zale said while Harry went to put on his shoes. “If that’s okay?”

“As if I’m goin’ say no to more of those fish cakes,” Harry said, lacing up his boots. “How ya feelin’ after last night?” 

“I’m okay,” Zale said as Harry finished and stood, ready to go. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m still angry,” Harry grumbled as Zale led them out of the room and down the hallway. “What an asshole! What’s the point of riskin’ yer neck to invade someone’s privacy?” 

“Money I suppose,” Zale said, trotting down the stairs to the lobby. 

“Hold on, your highness,” Grimsby said before Zale and Harry could get out the door. “You need to have security with you after last night.”

“I knew it,” Zale sighed as a few guards followed behind Grimsby. “I can’t really argue against that, can I?”

“Not unless you wish to fight the Queen,” Grimsby said as the guards approached Harry and Zale. “They will follow at a distance, and we have more set up around the kingdom. It’s important to be alert after last night. Also, be careful out in the courtyard. There was quite the gust of wind last night and it caused a mess.” 

“Oh….it was that strong?” Zale questioned and opened the door to the courtyard and saw the mess. Many potted plants had been knocked over, a few of the small trees had lost branches, and one of his mother’s stone statues had been knocked over. 

Did he do that? He didn’t even mean to do it, if he did it. 

“We’ll get it cleaned up soon, just be careful,” Grimsby said and Zale nodded his head and avoided eye contact with Harry as they left. The guards backed off a little, giving Zale and Harry space as they walked towards the kingdom. 

“Uh, Bubbles?” Harry questioned, sensing something was off with the Prince. 

“Harry,” Zale mumbled, glancing back to the guards before looking at him again. “I think….I think I did that. The wind. The huge gust of wind.”

“Really?” Harry questioned and Zale nodded his head. 

“I wanted to get us out of that situation and the wind pushed us towards the door and opened it. I’m not saying I for sure did it...but,” Zale trailed off. 

“So, we just…...need to keep track of these occurrences.”

“I suppose so? I guess when my emotions are raging, the weather rages too? I don’t know why this is happening all of a sudden. Do you think it was the salt water? It activated some power within me?” Zale questioned, not sure what to do. The logical thing would be to tell his parents, but, he didn’t want them finding anything out, or thinking he was crazy. 

“Did your mom have powers like this that were just left outta her story?” Harry questioned and Zale shook his head. “Then where did these powers come from?” 

“My grandfather? My great grandfather?” Zale questioned, but he really wasn’t sure. It had been some time since he saw his grandfather and magical abilities weren’t one of the topics they discussed and he had never spoken to his great grandfather, but, he was a god, so that wasn’t surprising. “I guess we just have to wait?”

“Seems so, Bubbles,” Harry said as they entered the busy town. It felt like there was more activity today than there was yesterday.There were a few people that watched him closely so Harry avoided eye contact with them. “Bit weird today, ain’t it?”

“They probably heard about the intruder,” Zale said, heading towards the restaurant with the fish cakes. It was still early, but, hopefully that meant it wasn’t too busy. He did notice a few people staring at them, mostly at Harry. They stared yesterday, but today was a little different. What was going on? 

A group of girls passed them, all giggling and pointing at something in one of the girl’s hands as they walked by. It looked like a magazine, but Zale couldn’t tell. He saw a few more people his age with the same thing, so it must be a magazine. 

“What’s so interesting in that thing?” He questioned and Harry shrugged as they moved past a flower shop. They kept moving and Harry began talking about the fish cakes, which made Zale chuckle and roll his eyes. 

“I dreamt ‘bout ‘em, they were that good, Bubbles,” Harry said, wishing he could eat more. 

“Where do you think we’re heading?” Zale asked him as they approached the restaurant. It was more like a pick up and go sort of place, but they had the fish cakes and that’s all that mattered. 

“Bubbles! Really?!” Harry asked with wide eyes. “Thought ya wouldn’t wanna eat anymore?”

“ I don’t mind eating the same thing everyday...besides they happen to have sushi too,” Zale said and they entered the shop. 

“Welcome, welcome!” The same woman from yesterday said, waving them in. “What would you like?”

Harry looked around the place as Zale ordered for them. It was smaller than he thought, and looked more like a cafe than an actual restaurant. There were a lot of people their age scattered about at different tables. 

“Here are your fishcakes,” Zale handed Harry a cup that held at least three fish cakes. 

“Bubbles, have I ever told you how much I love ya?” Harry said, feeling his eyes water up as he looked at the food. “This looks so good.”

“I didn’t realize you were that hungry,” Zale said with his small container of sushi. He looked down at his food, messing with one of the rolls with his chopsticks, resisting his urge to smile. 

“What?” Harry questioned, halfway through a fishcake. 

“Just surprised that The Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, would just declare his love so openly,” Zale said, obviously teasing Harry. He laughed when Harry paused mid-chew, then began chewing rapidly. 

“Oi, ya know what I meant!” Harry exclaimed with an eye roll while Zale calmed down enough from laughing to start eating his sushi. He froze before putting the roll in his mouth when he caught sight of the front cover of a magazine in a girl’s hand when he looked out the window. “Zale?”

“I think….I think we’re on the cover of that magazine,” Zale said, still holding the piece of sushi with his chopsticks. 

I doubt it!” Harry said, eating another fishcake. Zale frowned, but began eating his food. He let Harry carry the conversation for the rest of the meal and when they got back out onto the street, Zale made it his mission to find the magazine. “Ya really think we’re on the cover?”

“I don’t know, I only saw a glimpse,” Zale said, seeing a magazine stand on the next block. “It would explain why people are looking at you.”

“People always look at me, it’s a side effect of my good looks,” Harry joked and Zale raised his eyebrows at him before continuing on his mission. “Oh,” Harry mumbled when they got close enough to the stand to see the magazine. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Zale snatched one from the rack and showed it to Harry. “Do they have nothing to talk about!?” On it was a picture of Harry and Zale from yesterday afternoon. Someone had obviously taken a picture when Harry had held Zale’s hand when they were sitting at the fountain. In the corner was a picture of Audrey looking angry, and the main title read ‘Zale found new boo? Princess Audrey jealous!’ 

“They work fast,” Harry grabbed one for himself, shaking his head. “Zale, it’s okay.”

“But it’s not, Harry,” Zale said, knowing he needed to remain calm, that people were watching them, but, he couldn’t help but feel upset. “I literally just stepped back into public eye again and this happens? If they can’t respect my privacy can they at least respect yours? And not try to make a mockery of Audrey? They’ve dragged her around more than enough with what happened this past summer.” 

Harry never paid much attention to the media after coming to Auradon, but he could imagine how bad Audrey had it when it came to the press. Harry felt a gust of wind, it was nearly as strong as last night. 

“I guess this isn’t that big of a deal, I just don’t like that they dragged you into this and that Audrey gets teased like this,” Zale sighed, flipping through the magazine before pausing. “Hey!” Zale called out, catching every guard’s attention as he stared at the picture on the inside of the magazine. “H-How did they get this!?” He asked the first guard who approached, and showed them the picture. “I thought you destroyed his phone and camera and anything else he had on him!?” 

Harry couldn’t tell what Zale was talking about, so he flipped through the magazine before stopping on one page. He felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck when he saw a picture that was obviously taken last night. Zale was in Harry’s arms but luckily, if there was any luck to it, Zale was obviously frightened and holding on to Harry, so the picture was taken when the intruder was spotted. 

At least it wasn’t one of the both of them staring at each other when Harry really wanted to kiss him. If that one had been printed, it would’ve been more of a disaster. 

“We did, your royal highness,” the guard said, looking over the magazine and picture before speaking into his radio. “We have an issue. Seems some photographs slipped out of our grasp last night. The Auradon Globe magazine is running a full gossip article on the Prince and his friend.” 

“This…” Zale shook his head, too frustrated to even finish his sentence. Harry looked above them and saw a mass of gray storm clouds beginning to cover the sky and he put his hand on Zale’s shoulder.

Zale really had magical powers. 

Just when Harry thought the Prince couldn’t get more amazing. 

“Zale,” Harry mumbled, trying to get him to calm down. They didn’t need a thunderstorm now. “Hey, it’s going to be fine. It’s just some trashy magazine.”

“But they’re bringing you into this,they’re invading my privacy of the castle,” Zale said, looking at Harry. Harry could see the frustration and anger in Zale’s expression. Anger was not an emotion Zale wore often. It looked strange and foreign on his face. “We need to question the intruder.” 

“We will, do we need to head back to the palace?” The guard asked Zale as a low rumble of thunder was heard over head. “That might be for the best.” 

“No, it’s fine,” Zale said, though it was obvious he was still angry. “I won’t let this ruin our day, come on,” Zale directed this to Harry, who followed him down the street. 

“Bubbles, hey,” Harry said softly, getting Zale to look at him. “I promise ya, this ain’t a big deal to me. Like, yeah, I’m mad that someone who just writes lies like this and tries to make entertainment out of our private lives, but, ya know, everyone knows this is just gossip.”

“I know but,” Zale sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I just don’t want you to have to be brought into this! Aren’t you bothered that they are trying to imply we’re a couple?” 

“I ain’t bothered by that,” Harry said, truthfully and Zale raised his eyebrows. Of course he wasn’t bothered by them saying they were a couple, because he wanted to be with Zale, but he was bothered by how they did it. “I don’t like the distress, it's causin’ ya. Anyone who believes this junk is just an airhead. They ain’t got nothin’ goin’ on.”

“You’re right,” Zale said and Harry squeezed his shoulder. He would do more, but he didn’t want more trouble for Zale right now. 

“We can go back to the castle if you want. I know bein’ ‘round all these people ain’t easy for you right now,” Harry said, hearing another low rumble in the sky. 

“I’m trying not to ruin the festival, but, I kind of want to,” Zale admitted quietly, sighing. He fiddled with his hands, then looked to the dark gray skies. “I don’t want to go back to the castle and be cooped up, but if I can’t control this maybe I should….ugh let’s face it, I can’t control it.” 

“You can, Bubbles. Why don’t we get out of the crowd for a little bit?” Harry questioned and Zale nodded his head, leading them to the left, down a narrower one way street. 

—

“I never wished I was back at school so much...no guards following me everywhere. Ugh but now I’ll have other students bothering me and I have to be nice to them while trying not to cause a downpour,” Zale complained, which made Harry chuckle, as they entered a small park.

“Oi, ain’t gotta be super nice, just be that real fake polite I’ve seen you and Audrey do a thousand times,” Harry said as Zale pouted at him. “I’ll scare them off, how ‘bout that? You do the big thunder clap right when I start yellin’.”

“The guys might be scared off by you but the girls definitely won’t be,” Zale said and Harry shot him a questioning look. “Aw come on Harry, you know a lot of the girls think you’re cute and like your ‘roguish’ personality. They love a good bad boy.”

Zale didn’t mean to come off sounding so jealous. Why would he be jealous anyway? He didn’t like Harry like that. He didn’t. 

“Who cares what they love?” Harry said, looking forward as they got farther from the city’s center. The wind picked up a little and Harry looked to the skies, still seeing gray clouds. Zale was still upset. 

“Don’t act like you don’t like it,” Zale said and Harry shrugged. He did like the attention, but he cared more about the attention he got from Zale. “I don’t want you scaring them off just because of me. I’d hate to get in the way of you meeting someone you really like.” 

“Bubbles, ain’t gotta worry about that, at all,” Harry said, putting his arm around Zale’s shoulders now that they were far enough away from the festival. He smiled at him, trying to brighten him up. “Being ya friend and spendin’ time with ya is wayyyyyy more important and don’t go arguin’ with me ‘bout it!” 

“Are you sure?” Zale questioned and Harry nodded his head. They walked in silence for a bit, heading down the small pathway. Harry noticed the gray skies weren’t clearing and he looked at Zale, who was staring hard at the ground. 

“The magazine article still botherin’ ya isn’t?” Harry questioned, moving his arm off of Zale’s shoulders as the Prince sighed. 

“Yeah, but, I can’t do anything about it now..” he wished he could though. He felt so bothered by how they were dragging Audrey and Harry into it. “Harry, you know if you continue to be my friend, this sort of thing might happen again. Is that okay? Is it worth it?” Zale asked, pausing and looking to Harry. “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to be friends anymore.” 

“Bubbles, I don’t care what they say long as they ain’t insultin’ you or any of us! Of course I still wanna be yer friend, why ya always tryin’ to give me a way out of this friendship? I’m here for forever, Bubbles, ain’t no gettin’ rid of me,” Harry said and sighed when Zale looked at him, giving him sad eyes. “Oi, why ya lookin’ like you’re ‘bout to cry?” 

“I’m just feeling overwhelmed again, I think,” Zale admitted, trying to hold it together. He was so lucky to have Harry. “The intruder last night, the press this morning, the powers, and school tomorrow. It’s just suffocating, all the time. I forgot how horrible it was. Can I have a hug? I know hugs aren’t your thing bu-”

“Ya ain’t gotta ask, c’mere Bubbles,” Harry said, hugging him tightly. “I know I give the best hugs. It’s my strong arms and charming good looks.”

“Of course of course,” Zale said, sighing into his shoulder.He felt more stable with Harry, but he didn’t understand why. He needed to talk to Audrey. “I will not cause a storm, I will not cause a storm,” Zale murmured, holding onto Harry. 

“You can make it rain a little,” Harry said and Zale could hear the teasing tone in his voice. “Ya know...just enough to ruin some of those magazine people were carryin’ around.” 

“A light drizzle?” Zale questioned, pulling away from Harry a little to smile at him. “Not enough to ruin the festival but enough to smear the ink on those photos. Can I even do that? I feel like I’m only capable of horrible storms.” 

“Nah, Bubbles, you’re capable of more than that,” Harry said and Zale felt like he was going to melt. Did Harry even know how special he made Zale feel all the time? Was he doing this on purpose? 

“So much faith,” Zale said and looked to the sky, trying to focus on making it rain. 

Then it started downpouring.

“I told you!” Zale exclaimed over the sound of the rain and Harry just started laughing, hard. “W-Why are you laughing!? Harry this is terrible!” 

“But yer expression was so funny!” 

“Stop rain! Stop!” Zale shouted and it stopped as the guards were running towards them with umbrellas ready to shield them from the rain. “Harry Hook you are the absolute worst!” 

“You’re amazin, Bubbles,” Harry said, wiping his smeared eyeliner from under his eyes. Zale paused his rant, staring at Harry. “You can control the weather. Not very well, but, ya can control it.” 

Zale looked away and shrugged and started busying himself with ringing out his shirt and waving the guards away. “I guess...it’s sort of amazing.”

“Accept the compliment, Bubbles,” Harry said, bumping their shoulders together. “Yer amazing, now say, thank you Harry, my very best friend.” 

“Thank you Harry, my very best friend,” Zale murmured, but Harry didn’t miss the sun peaking through the clouds. 

\--

“You two are soaking wet!!” Cloretta exclaimed when Harry and Zale entered the palace a little while later. “Did you two get caught in that sudden downpour? It came out of nowhere! I had to re dry the laundry. You two need to get into fresh dry clothing!” 

“Sorry Cloretta,” Zale said as she pushed them towards the stairs. 

“Go shower and get into fresh clothing! And don’t forget to pack anything you need for school! You’re leaving right after dinner tonight!” She reminded them both and shooed them off. 

“So, what are we doing for the rest of the day?” Harry questioned as they continued to their rooms. A hot shower sounded really nice right now. “After the shower of course.”

“I can show you around the castle grounds, if you want?” 

“Sounds good Bubbles! I’ll shower and get all dressed up for a stroll around the palace grounds,” Harry said teasingly as he entered his room, winking at Zale. Zale hurried into his room and grabbed his phone, dialing Audrey’s number immediately. 

“Hello? What’s up?” Audrey questioned and Zale sighed.

“Can you meet with me once I get back at school? I’ve got…..a lot to tell you….” he mumbled and he heard a very audible gasp from Audrey. 

“WHAT HAPPENED!?”

“Audrey be quiet he’s in the room right next to me and you’re on speaker,” Zale said, hurrying into his bathroom and shutting the door behind him. “A lot...of things happened and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Or think.”

“Okay okay, I’ll hold my questions for later! I saw some trashy gossip magazine tried to make me seem like some desperate and scorned ex lover. Again. Does this have anything to do with that?” Audrey questioned while Zale got undressed, happy to get the wet clothing off. 

“Yes...and no, but yes,” Zale replied and Audrey sighed.

“What am I going to do with you Zale...okay! I’ll be waiting for you to return tonight! So be prepared!” With that, she was gone and Zale sighed.

\--

“You know, I think he really likes that boy,” Ariel said, watching Harry and Zale walk around the palace grounds together from her balcony. She was careful not to be seen by either of them, she didn’t need Zale yelling at her for spying on him. 

“What makes you think that?” Eric said, straightening his tie. They had another conference soon about castle safety and new rules for the press to follow when they come to the castle. 

“Just the way he acts around him. He laughs a lot. He seems really happy when he’s with Harry, plus he gets so flustered,” Ariel said, leaning against the railing. “I know if my dad knew about Harry, he would lose his temper. ‘How dare you let my grandson befriend a villain's child!’ he would yell, all big and mean,” Ariel said, impersonating her father, which always made Eric laugh.

“Your impression of him is almost as good as Zale’s impression of him,” Eric said, joining his wife. 

“That’s because he and Zale act the same when they lose their temper, we were just lucky that Zale is more patient,” Ariel said, watching as Harry pointed at the wall, the wall that blocked them from the ocean. Zale shrugged and looked downcast, which made Ariel frown. “We’re so close to his 18th birthday.” 

“Just a few more months,” Eric said, looking down at the boys. “The weather lately has been….chaotic.” 

“I was thinking the same thing, but, there’s no way he’s had contact with ocean water. He would’ve told us! Don’t you think?” Ariel asked Eric, who frowned. 

“Did you tell your father everything? Because I wasn’t always honest with my parents,” Eric said. 

“But…...well..that’s different!” Ariel exclaimed, standing up straight now. “Besides, we don’t even know if the curse is real or not. It could’ve been some lie to scare us and I think if Zale suddenly had fins, he would’ve told us. I hope so, anyway…” Ariel turned back to watching Harry and Zale, before sighing deeply. “I don’t know, but, I think Harry is good for him.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the chapter delay, the world has been so crazy! I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you enjoy the chapter! We're starting to get into the drama and fun stuff so I'm excited! Anyway, please enjoy, and stay safe! Once again, and as always, thank you so much for kudos, comments, and bookmarks. I greatly appreciate it!

“Tell me, EVERYTHING!” Audrey said, laying on Zale’s bed like it was her’s. “I’m such a good wingman.”

“You saw the trashy magazine so you know a majority of it already,” Zale put some of his clothes away, trying to stay busy. “Ugh Audrey I don’t know. There’s a lot going on, like, a lot,” he said, turning to look at her. She sat up and patted a spot on the bed. Zale came over and plopped on the bed, sighing loudly. “I can somewhat control the weather.” 

“Excuse me?” Audrey said, not expecting that. 

“You heard me. Harry and I tested it this weekend and I can somewhat, and I use that term very loosely, control the weather. That major storm last week the day of the press conference? All me, yup, me, the mermaid, can control the weather,” he told her, not afraid of sounding crazy around Audrey like he was with Harry. “And you know when it finally died down? I was with Harry and it seems like Harry has some ability to calm me down and prevent me from creating some giant chaotic storm. If I had seen that magazine article without Harry around I would’ve ruined the festival. So, Harry prevents me from having huge freak outs, and no, I didn’t tell my parents! So that’s great, and you know another thing is, I think I like Harry. Like, like Harry. I think Harry and I almost kissed this weekend and I wasn’t opposed to it. So. That’s how my weekend went after you left.”

“That’s a lot,” Audrey said, looking at Zale. “This is crazier than when you were trying to explain your fins to me when we were kids.”

“I know.”

“You like Harry.” 

“I do.” 

“And you can control the weather.”

“Somewhat.” 

“I’m sorry, I’m impressed by the weather thing but I’m more obsessed with you liking Harry,” Audrey said and Zale rolled onto his stomach and groaned into a pillow. “We just have to keep you level headed and around Harry! You’re already level headed enough, you don’t freak out often, and Harry is almost always right next to you, so, I think you’ll be fine! No more chaotic storms!” 

“But, it’s Harry, Audrey. Eventually, someone will catch his eye and he won’t be around me all the time and he won’t want to hang out with me anymore,” Zale mumbled quietly, so quietly that Audrey almost didn’t hear him. 

“Are you jealous?”

“No! Well…..yeah. I never really let it bother me before because I didn’t think much about it. I know Harry enjoys the attention but he’s really attractive and all the girls fawn all over him,” Zale said, turning to look at Audrey. “Why is he so handsome?! Have you seen his eyes?”

Audrey rolled her eyes. Did Zale not realize how pretty he was and how girls fawned over him even when they didn’t know he was a Prince? 

“You know Harry isn’t going to ditch you for anyone,” Audrey said and Zale knew she was right. He was over thinking again. “Harry loves being around you, and you love being around him.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Zale, I know you don’t realize this but you yourself are very attractive, and girls and guys fawn over you too, but you don’t notice because you’re too focused on Harry,” Audrey said and Zale buried his face back in his pillow, but she could see his ears getting red. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about or get jealous over, even though I know you will overthink and worry and get jealous no matter what I tell you.”

“You’re right…” 

\--

Zale had almost forgotten the whole school knew he was a Prince until he sat down in his first class and heard a group of girls giggling from behind him. He refused to turn around, even when he heard the whispering of his name. 

He wished he had a friend in every class but, first period was friendless. 

“Do you mind if I sit here, your highness?” One of the girls came up and put her hand on the desk in front of him. He had no clue how to respond to that. Say no? That would be rude! Say yes and have her turning around through class or passing him notes? That was even worse. 

“That’s my seat, move,” Uma said, approaching the girl from behind. The girl looked to Zale, as if he would say something to stop Uma. 

“Sorry, that is Uma’s seat,” Zale said and the girl frowned and took the seat behind Zale.   
Maybe he did have a friend in this class. 

“You need to stand up for yourself,” Uma said, turning to look at him. He frowned and propped his elbow up on the desk. 

“There’s a thin line between standing up for myself and being rude,” Zale told her, as the giggling behind him continued. “I can’t embarrass my kingdom by being rude just because I prefer to be left alone, especially when every royal student around here is horribly extroverted.” 

“Well you better do something. I’m sure your locker is about to be filled with love confessions,” Uma said, sounding slightly amused. Harry was going to hate that. “I didn’t think people would make a big deal out of you being a Prince, but, guess I was wrong.”

“I think it’s the mermaid bit that gets them,” Zale said, rolling his eyes. “I can’t turn into a mermaid but, no one will believe me,” he continued and Uma just nodded her head. He wanted to be her friend, she did help look for him when he ran off, so he owed her. 

“Well, good luck convincing them you can’t. If I can get tentacles, you can get fins, at least, that’s how they’ll see it,” Uma said and Zale knew she was right. 

\--

“Ahoy there, Bubbles,” Harry said right as Zale left his first period. Had Harry been waiting for him? “How did it go?”

“Uma had to save me,” Zale said as the girl followed him out of the classroom. “I don’t know how to respond when people who never gave me the time of day now call me ‘your highness’ and ask to sit next to me in class.”

“Better get used to it,” Uma said, walking with them to their second class. 

“I got you Bubbles, don’t worry,” Harry nudged Zale with his elbow. Like hell was he going to let all these girls flirt with him and try to use Zale for his crown. 

“Thanks Harry, I feel so much better with your protection already,” Zale said teasingly and Harry side-eyed him. 

“Oi, I could just let ‘em all flock around ya,” Harry said, putting his hands up. Uma shot him a look behind Zale’s back. There was no way in hell Harry could sit by and watch anyone flirt with Zale without getting angry or jealous. He was far too protective. 

“I was kidding,” Zale said and Uma wondered how Audrey was able to put up with it as they continued to walk to class. The two flirted back and forth, but both were too encaptured with each other that they didn’t notice. 

It was adorable, sickenly adorable. 

Uma couldn’t really be irritated or annoyed by it because Harry looked so happy. He was happy, happier than she had ever seen him before, and they weren’t ignoring her or leaving her out, they were including her in every conversation or joke that they shared. 

Maybe it was just weird for her, to see Harry this interested in someone before. Normally he would just flirt with the person until he got bored, but, there had to be something about Zale that kept Harry’s attention. 

“So...sushi tonight?” Zale asked after a beat or two of silence between the three of them. 

“No sushi!” Lonnie, approaching them from the front. “Besides! It’s girl’s day. You spent all weekend with Harry.” 

“She’s right!” Jane said, joining her. “You ran off all of a sudden, we were really worried! So, you owe us a pasta night, just saying.” 

“Exactly!,” Lonnie grabbed Zale’s wrist and pulled him with her and Jane and Zale turned back to Harry and Uma. 

“Sorry! I do owe them,” he said and they disappeared into the sea of people. 

“Why do you look like a kicked puppy dog?” Uma asked Harry, and he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“I almost messed up this weekend,” Harry told her and she took a step towards him, eyebrows raised. “I almost kissed him.” 

“How is that almost messing up?” Uma questioned, not understanding. It was obvious they liked each other. What was the big deal? 

“There was some paparazzi that had climbed up to his balcony and was takin’ pictures of us,” Harry said, feeling angry all over again. “He took pictures of us and the guards thought they destroyed ‘em all but, guess they ain’t did that great of a job. Could’ve been real bad. Especially when we saw the photos got printed in some trashy gossip magazine.”

“Yeah….I can see the issue,” Uma said, looking towards the courtyard. “Ugh, climbing up to his balcony? They do that kind of creepy thing here?” 

“Yeah, guess so. It really bothered Zale, I think it's still bothering him,” Harry said. “He was upset with how they made Audrey seem like some angry ex and mad that they dragged me into it, like I care. They can say whatever they want ‘bout me, ain’t goin’ bother me.” 

“Hmp, you had to go fall for a prince,” Uma said as they continued to class. “Couldn’t have made it simple.”

“Oi I know, I know.”

“On top of that, the son of the little mermaid….hey how did his parents treat you?” Uma questioned, wondering. It was no secret she and Harry were extremely close, and she couldn’t imagine Zale’s parents were okay with his closeness to Harry. 

“They like me,” Harry said, surprising Uma. “His mom is really nice...she was really happy I spent the night.” 

“Wow,” Uma said and Harry nodded his head. “I was expecting a little hesitancy from them but, good for you. Now go ask him out.”

“Oi, ya know it ain’t that easy, especially now,” Harry said and Uma rolled her eyes. He wanted to tell her more, but, he didn’t want to betray Zale’s trust. “When it rains, it pours with Bubbles.” 

\--

“You almost what?!” Lonnie exclaimed at lunch and Zale shushed her, though it didn’t matter because everyone was staring at them anyway. Audrey glared at them, but it only scared a few away. 

“Why didn’t you kiss him?” Jane questioned, sighing. “That was the perfect time!”

“Yeah, it was, until I looked and saw a person on my balcony!” Zale told them both. “A person taking pictures of us, who then sent the photos to a trashy gossip magazine and had them plastered all over it!” 

“Oh...probably for the best you didn’t kiss him,” Lonnie said. 

“And it uh, gets worse….” Zale trailed off as Jane and Lonnie leaned in. “Okay so, uh, okay, so Audrey, I didn’t tell you this part yet either…”

“So it’s not the magical powers thing?” Audrey questioned and Jane and Lonnie’s eyes grew wide.

“It’s part of it. So, you guys remember the last beach trip right? So, Harry brought me back a little bottle of saltwater and I opened it to smell it and it splashed on me and I turned into a mermaid,” he said all in one breath.

“Without you prompting it?” Jane questioned and Zale nodded his head. 

“It just, happened, and okay, sidetracking a bit, Harry was able to pick me up TWICE when I was finned out, how strong is he?” Zale questioned and it made Lonnie giggle. “Because of course fairy godmother came knocking on my door, so he carried me to the bathroom to hide me, and then he was really sweet because I was being really self-deprecating…”

“The magical powers?” Jane questioned and he realized he had gotten off track. 

“Yes, those. So, the power went out at the conference and I’m pretty sure I caused that. Then when the paparazzi were taking pictures, I created this strong gust of wind because I was scared, and then when I found the magazine article I almost created a huge thunderstorm,” Zale explained to them and all three sat in silence. 

“So salt water automatically makes you turn into a mermaid, but not seafoam,” Jane said and Zale nodded his head. “And it’s unleashed some magical ability in you.” 

“That’s what I’m guessing, and I don’t really know how to control it, but, Harry helps? I don’t know why, or how he does, but, he does,” Zale finished while the three girls just stared at him. 

“Tell me more about when he carried you,” Lonnie said, leaning in and smiling at Zale. “How cute! I’m sorry, I just, it’s so cute that he calms you down. Do you think he has some underlining magical ability? Maybe that’s why you two were so drawn to each other.”

“We weren’t drawn together, he almost drowned and I saved his life,” Zale said, brushing his bangs out of his face. It was so embarrassing to tell them all of this, but, they deserved to know and someone other than Harry needed to know. “To be fair, any of you could calm me down too.”

“But none of us have Harry’s big blue eyes that are so mesmerizing,” Audrey said and Zale looked down at his plate, noticing Audrey had eaten all of his french fries. Again. 

“And those eyes looked so sad today when we pulled you off,” Lonnie said. “He looked so upset to see you go, it was really sweet.” 

“He really really likes you,” Jane said and Zale didn’t meet their eyes. It was embarrassing and he didn’t want to get his hopes up. “So are you finally admitting that you like him? Officially?”

“I already said I wanted to kiss him, do I need to really repeat myself here?” Zale questioned. “I’ve got a lot going on right now, so, I’m just going to push this back until I am able to process it.”

“You can’t push back your feelings for Harry,” Audrey said, rolling her eyes. “You could go up to him right now and ask him to go on a date with you and he would say yes.” 

“Maybe after family day,” Zale said, thinking about the event. It wasn’t so daunting now that everyone knew about his parents, maybe he could actually enjoy himself for once. “It’s just a little much right now to deal with those feelings. I’m worried if I get too carried away with my emotions, I might hurt someone.”

“Oh please, Zale, you could never hurt anyone,” Jane said, patting his arm. 

\--

Zale headed towards his locker, exhausted. The girls kept him out way too late last night, and he really needed to take a nap before swim practice, but that wasn’t happening. He paused when he saw a few girls by it, looking like they were sticking stuff in the slots.

Why him? Why did him being a Prince suddenly make him attractive? He didn't want special treatment, he didn’t want people faking being his friend, and he didn’t want people confessing to him. 

He wasn’t Chad, he didn’t flourish in that environment. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the fish stick Prince,” Chad said, coming up behind Zale. Zale just looked at him before ignoring him and heading to his locker. “Just so you know, Ben’s planning on inviting you to tea time.”

“How exciting,” Zale said, opening his locker and seeing two letters fall to the ground. He sighed and picked them up and stuffed them in the back of his locker. He could only deal with one headache at a time. 

“The tea is disgusting. It was like black gunk,” Chad said and Zale raised his eyebrows. 

“Thanks for the heads up,” Zale said, grabbing his gym bag and shutting his locker. After swim practice, he was going to shower and go to bed. 

“I see you already have admirers. Some stunt you pulled last week,” Chad continued and Zale just kept walking. He had to stay calm. He couldn’t lose his cool. 

“Chad, I would think you’d know my personality by now to know that all of that was on Ben. If you have a problem with it, go talk to him again,” Zale said, flashing Chad a glare. Chad didn’t seem like he was going to back down. 

He kept following Zale and it made Zale feel uneasy. He looked around for someone he knew, anyone, but it seemed his friends weren’t around. “Chad, what do you want? What’s going on?” Zale questioned, keeping his pace brisk. The coach would already be at the pool, so someone could protect him. He reached for the door but Chad leaned against it, stopping him. 

“Are you really thinking they’ll let you stay on the swim team now that they know you’re half fish?” Chad questioned and Zale paused. 

He hadn’t even considered that. 

“Coach knows my parents, and I’m not half fish, you jerk,” Zale said and yanked on the door, knocking Chad back. “For once, leave me alone,” Zale said and shut the door behind him, heading towards the locker rooms. 

A few of the other guys were there and they watched him before whispering quietly to each other. He didn’t even think about the possibility that his teammates wouldn’t want him on the team anymore

Why though? He didn’t even try in competitions. He didn’t come in first and he wasn’t accepting any scholarships, so he wasn’t a threat to them. He made sure of that for the past four years. 

He hurried and changed and left the locker room, heading towards his coach. 

“Sorry I missed practice this weekend,” Zale apologized and the coach shook his head.

“Zale, it’s fine. You had a rough week last week. Look, I’m not going to lie to you, a few of the guys are a little miffed about it all, but, I want you on the team, fairy godmother wants you on the team, and so, you’re staying on the team. They can’t try to kick you off just because of your mother,” he replied, adjusting his baseball cap. “So, warm up and get in the pool.” 

“Thank you, sir,” Zale said, relief washing over him. This was the only time he could swim, he didn’t want to lose that. He stretched before diving into the pool, trying to calm himself. 

He had a lot going on, but he didn’t have to figure it all out now. When he hit 18, he would tell his parents everything, and they’d figure it out. He’d be done with highschool by that point, and they could focus on whatever the hell was wrong with him, or right with him. Maybe this was natural? Knowing his luck, it wasn’t. 

Also, what was going on with Chad? He was an ass, like usual, but something about him wasn’t right. Then again, it was Chad. Nothing was right about him. 

Then there was Harry. Just thinking about him made Zale’s heart pound against his chest. He wanted to be around Harry all the time, no matter what. He had no clue how to handle these feelings, he has never liked someone like this before. This was the first time he had gotten so close to someone in years and he felt so happy. So incredibly happy that it made him anxious. 

Something would come along and ruin it eventually.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! Sorry for the chapter delay, life is super crazy but I hope everyone is doing okay! Please stay safe and be careful out there!! Thank you for all the support, I greatly appreciate it!!

“Apparently, Ben is going to invite me for tea,” Zale said as he, Harry, and Jane walked to his locker before science class. 

“I’m sure he’s going to apologize,” Jane said and Harry eyed her. With how Ben was acting last week, he really doubted that. “He and Mal went on some weekend vacation and Mal said he acted like himself again.”

“Good for beastie. If he ain’t apologizin’ to you at yer tea time, then someone needs to teach ‘em a lesson,” Harry said, crossing his arms as they reached Zale locker. The Prince opened it and immediately shoved crumbled letters into the back of his locker. “Oi, what’s all this then?”

“Just stupid letters from people I don’t know,” Zale said, trying to push them back.

“Like love letters?” Jane asked and Harry felt this ping of jealousy. Were people seriously writing him love letters? To his Bubbles? 

“What?” He questioned and Jane eyed him knowingly before looking back to Zale. “Why ain’t ya throwing ‘em out?”

“I feel bad just throwing them out,” Zale said and Harry reached into his locker and grabbed a handful.

“I don’t,” he said and stuffed them in the trash can that was behind them, sending a glare at a group of students who were watching. “If ya don’t like ‘em, ya don’t like ‘em, they can get over it!” 

“Are you okay?” Zale asked and Jane smirked from behind him, watching Harry. 

“I’m fine, I ain’t goin’ let ya have an overfilled locker with all that junk,” Harry said, standing next to him again. Jane smiled and he rolled his eyes as Zale turned back to his locker. “Why do they write those letters anyway?”

“I don’t know, it’s not like they actually like me anyway,” Zale said, grabbing his biology book and shutting his locker. Harry frowned and followed the two to class and took a seat at their table. How many people were chasing after Zale now? Did he have competition? 

He stared down at the table as the teacher walked around the class, setting down tubes of a black looking mass at each workstation. 

“These are tubes contained with the pollution that was in our rivers and oceans. It has seemed to clear up, though it’s source is still unknown,” the teacher explained and Harry looked up, watching Zale examine the black goo. 

“This seems, magical, and not in a good way,” Zale mumbled to Jane while Harry’s partner poked their tube and the goo inside shifted slightly. Harry couldn’t place his finger on it, but it looked familiar. 

“It has to be, with how it appeared and disappeared,” Jane said, looking like she didn’t want to be anywhere near it as the teacher started up on his lecture. 

\--

“Would you have any idea what this could be?” Mal questioned, handing Uma a small vial of black goo, at least, that’s what it looked like to Uma.

“Ew, what is this?” Uma questioned, feeling uncomfortable with it in her hands, despite it being sealed in a vial. “Is this what all of those meetings have been about?” 

“Yup. It’s cleared up, but it cleared up a month ago and came back until recently when it disappeared again. I have a feeling it will be showing up again,” Mal said and crossed her arms and Uma inspected it. There was something magical about it, that was for sure, but, what was its purpose? She wished her mother spent more time teaching her potions and all of her magic, but, what would’ve been the point? 

“Well, I don’t know what it is,” Uma handed the vial back to Mal and leaned against the wall, eyeing Mal. 

“We were hoping you would, this puts us back at square one,” Mal sighed, looking at the goo. “Have you thought about what Ben said?”

“Answer is still no,” Uma said, knowing Mal would bring it up. Last Friday, Uma and Ben had gotten into a...disagreement. He wanted Uma to hand over her mother’s necklace and turn it into the museum, where it could be on display. Uma refused because it was her’s, and while Ben didn’t support magic usage, Uma did. She wasn’t leaving her necklace in a place that had gotten robbed before. 

They both had gotten pretty heated about it, Ben had lost his temper easily and Uma hadn’t been the most patient either. She knew Ben could lose his temper, it was the beast in him, but she wasn’t expecting it to happen so quickly or over something so trivial. 

“Uma…”

“No, it’s mine. You can give up your spellbook, but I’m not giving up my necklace,” Uma said, standing fully now. “You need to watch Ben’s behavior. He’s out there making a lot of enemies at once,” Uma added, grabbing her bag from the floor, getting ready to leave. 

“What do you mean ‘enemies’?” Mal asked, setting the vial down on the desk. 

“Audrey still doesn’t like both of you very much, and Chad is going to side with her, Ben called Zale out, so I know he’s not happy with Ben, and you know that means Harry’s one step away from punching Ben.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of how much Harry hates us right now,” Mal sighed. “He made that clear to me last week. I tried to talk to him and he kind of blew up on me.” 

“Can you blame him?” Uma questioned, taking Harry’s side on this. “I have to go, so good luck with ‘beastie’,” Uma said, leaving the office without giving Mal a chance to say anything. 

Uma had decided after Friday she would hide the necklace away in her dorm room. She didn’t want to wear it around right now in case she ran into Ben and it sparked another argument. 

“You look upset,” Audrey said when Uma walked out of the office. Had she been waiting there? 

“I wouldn’t say upset, more like annoyed,” Uma said and Audrey followed her. “You have something you need to tell me?”

“No, I’m killing time before my meeting with Zale. I’m giving him and Harry some alone time,” she smirked, pleased with herself. “Jane told me Harry got jealous earlier when he saw all the love letters Zale had in his locker.” 

“Sounds like Harry,” Uma said, rolling her eyes. “He needs to just kiss him.”

“They almost did this weekend, did Harry tell you about that? Zale told me all about it,” Audrey said, looking very passionate about the topic. 

“Yeah, and about that creep who was on Zale’s balcony,” Uma said and Audrey shook her head. 

“People are so eager to invade Zale’s personal life since he’s been under the radar for so long. Plus, Mal and Ben are old news to everyone now, a passing phase. They want something new,” Audrey said, shrugging while she rolled her eyes. “Besides, Ben’s been a bit testy lately. It’s like his preteen years all over again.”

“So he’s always been like that?” 

“Sort of. Everyone loses their temper, it just so happened that in our little group, Ben lost his more, and Zale never lost his, they’re kind of opposite in that way. Ben has never hurt someone if you’re getting at that,” Audrey explained. “I always thought everything he did was pretty amazing, but now looking back, he was just an average kid and teenager. I get now why Zale would always roll his eyes or sighed when I rambled about Ben. He said I romanticize things too easily, and my dream is always better than reality.” 

“Pretty wise for a someone who isn’t even 18,” Uma said. 

“Well, that was Zale for you. He kept me, Ben, and Chad grounded when we got carried away. Always was the voice of reason, even when he didn’t speak. I think he learned how to do that whenever his mom got carried away with some dream of a big ball or social event,” Audrey said, seeing Zale and Harry out in the courtyard. Zale was sitting on a bench, looking amused, as Harry paced in front of him, probably telling an elaborate story. “Harry has really helped him come out of his shell.” 

“I’ve never seen Harry be so afraid to tell someone how he feels,” Uma said, stopping beside Audrey. Henry looked to be retelling one of his father’s old adventure tales with the look of it.

“I’ve never seen anyone get that close to Zale so quickly,” Audrey said, looking to Uma. “Aren’t they lucky to have found each other? They’re so cute together.”

“Sure sure, let’s see if they actually ever get together before we plan their wedding,” Uma said and Audrey pouted at her. “Harry!” Uma called and both boys looked over at this.

“They were being so cute!” Audrey said to Uma, frowning as Harry said his goodbyes to Zale and headed over to the two girls. “Ugh, Uma, you ruined it.”

“Ruined what?” Harry asked and Audrey frowned at him. “Oi, just got here, ain’t no way I did somethin’ wrong.” 

“You and Zale were being so cute,” Audrey said and Uma rolled her eyes. “Oh great, I have to go help him,” all three looked to Zale, who now had a small group surrounding him. He looked mildly panicked as he scooted away from the girl who had taken a seat on the bench with him. 

“He can’t just get mad and tell them to shove off?” Uma questioned and Audrey and Harry exchanged glances. 

“We don’t want Bubbles gettin’ upset,” Harry said as Audrey hurried over to him, scaring away everyone and saving Zale from starting up a storm. 

“Guess he’s worse than Ben when he loses his temper?” Uma questioned and Harry just looked back to Zale and Audrey as they walked out of the courtyard together.

“Nah, ain’t that dangerous.”

\--

“Hey Zale, are you free now?” Ben questioned, catching Zale trying to get to swim practice. “It won’t take long.” Zale had successfully avoided Ben all last week, he needed more time to adjust to school now that everyone knew who he was. He had hoped to not have to speak to Ben at all before Family Day this weekend, but, that didn’t work out. 

“Yeah, I’ve got practice and we’re supposed to be going over our family day activity so this has got to be quick,” Zale said, following Ben to his office. The team was torn between a dunking booth or a pie throwing booth. Zale much preferred to be dunked in water than have a pie thrown at his face. 

The walk to his office was awkward and silent and once the door had been shut behind him, Zale suddenly felt….uncomfortable and unsafe. This was Ben, though, he had known Ben for his entire life, and of course they didn’t always see eye to eye, but he shouldn’t feel unsafe around him. 

“Please, sit, let me get you some tea,” Zale sat as Ben went to get the tea and Zale stared at the ground. He would honestly just prefer if he and Ben forgot the whole situation, but, he was still upset about it, and Audrey told him that he shouldn’t try to brush his feelings under the rug anymore. 

“So? What am I here for?” Zale questioned as Ben sat a cup of tea in front of Zale, before sitting across from him with his own cup of tea. He took a sip and Zale instinctively reached forward and grabbed his own cup, bringing it to his lips and taking a small sip before almost gagging. 

Chad was right, this tea was disgusting! It looked like black sludge was at the bottom of the cup. Ben should never make tea again. 

“I just wanted to apologize for how everything was handled last week. There has been a lot of pressure lately, especially with the reappearance and disappearance of the pollution, but I believe it is truly gone for good,” Ben said as Zale sat the tea cup down; he wasn’t drinking anymore of that. "I know it wasn't easy for you and I’m sorry if I caused you any distress.”

“Well, I accept your apology,” Zale said, standing. He had only been here maybe four minutes, but he was already ready to go. “Also, Ben, as your childhood friend, I have to tell you, please leave the tea to Mrs.Potts.”

“It’s that bad?” Ben questioned, looking down at the cup. “Mal wouldn’t even try it, but at least you didn’t spit some of it out like Chad.”

“Well, Chad is rude, so,” Zale grabbed his bag off the ground and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll see you at Family Day.”

“Of course, enjoy swim practice!” Ben said as Zale left the room. 

The feeling of unease followed Zale as he headed to the pool. Something wasn’t sitting right with him, he felt sick. He should have fake drank that tea and listened to Chad. It was just, Chad was never right, so he wasn’t expecting him to be right about tea of all things!

He pushed down the nausea he felt and made it to practice, but after looking him over, his coach refused to let him practice and told him to head back to his dorm to rest. Zale didn’t argue against him because he felt horrible. He was in a constant state of wanting to throw up, but even when he was in the safety of his own bathroom, he could only hunch over the toilet. It was as if his body was refusing to throw up even though it knew it was sick. 

He could feel his body temperature rising, but he didn’t know why. His throat felt tight and when he tried to stand, his legs were weak. He leaned against the bathroom counter, then against the wall, then the door frame, trying to get to his couch. His vision kept getting dark and the panic in him started to rise. 

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

There was a loud crash of thunder and Zale clung onto the door frame of his bathroom. Was that him causing it? There was no way! He held onto the frame as another wave of nausea passed through him, this one leaving him dizzy and disoriented. The couch looked so far away, he didn’t think his legs could carry him. He closed his eyes, trying to will the dizziness away.

“Bubbles?” Zale heard and opened his eyes to see two Harrys and two Umas staring at him. Harry! Harry would fix him, Harry would help. Zale didn’t know why he thought that but he pushed off of the doorframe and stumbled towards Harry, forcing his legs to work. 

“Zale!” Harry lunged forward and caught him as Zale’s legs gave out. “What is goin’ on?” Harry held him up, both of his arms wrapped around the Prince. 

“I think I’m sick…” Zale grumbled into Harry’s chest, eyes squeezed shut. He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he felt Harry’s arms around him. The panic and fear faded. “Unless there’s always been two of you and two of Uma.” 

“Not that we know of,” Uma said, shutting the door behind them and switching on the main light. 

“Got nauseous, got dizzy,” Zale explained, the dizziness already beginning to disappear. He looked up at Harry and was happy to only see two blue eyes looking down at him. “How...why are you here?” 

“Storm came out of nowhere,” Harry said, slowly moving Zale to his couch. “Saw Ben and he told us about yer meetin’ so I got worried.”

“And Harry made me run around trying to find you,” Uma said as Harry got Zale onto the couch. The prince rested his head on the back cushion, nausea finally passing. 

“You searched for me?” Zale questioned, looking at Harry. “I was...okay.”

“Bubbles! Yer close to passin’ out!” Harry said and Zale frowned, knowing Harry was right. “What happened?” 

“I got really nauseous but I couldn’t throw up, then I got hot and I felt weak and dizzy,” Zale grumbled and Harry felt his forehead. 

“Bubbles, you’re still burnin’ up,” Harry looked back to Uma, unsure of what to do. 

“Get him some water, I’ll go get the nurse,” Uma said and left the room. Harry went and grabbed a water from Zale’s mini fridge and uncapped it, handing it to Zale. 

“C’mon, you need water,” he said when Zale didn’t make a grab for the bottle. Zale weakly took it from him and slowly took a few sips before closing his eyes again. 

“I feel so gross,” Zale mumbled. “I don’t know what’s going on, I was fine before. Is it still storming?” He questioned and Harry sat down next to him, resisting the urge to brush Zale’s hair off of his face. 

“Died down pretty fast,” Harry replied, and Zale cracked his eyes open. “Had me running around tryin’ to find ya. Least I’ll always know when somethin’s wrong, eh?” 

“Am I just going to cause storms when I’m sick?” Zale questioned, looking at Harry. “This isn’t...that’s not safe.”

“No one was hurt, Bubbles, just a little rain and wind,” Harry said, seeing the sadness in Zale’s eyes. 

“This time no one was hurt,” Zale muttered, looking down at the couch cushions. He felt...terrible? Not just physically, but mentally. It came out of nowhere but it felt so heavy on his shoulders. 

“Oi, Bubbles, you would never hurt anyone,” Harry said, patting Zale’s knee to get his attention. “Zale, c’mon, you know you would never hurt anyone.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Zale said, trying to shake that voice in the back of his head that said ‘You will hurt someone’. He could, he could easily hurt someone. For now he just created storms, but what if he could call down lightning to strike someone? Or create tropical storms? What were the extent of his powers? Was this some kind of curse?

“Zale,” Harry said as the door to Zale’s room opened again, and the nurse along with Fairy Godmother came in, hurrying to Zale’s side. Harry moved off the couch, and stood by Uma, watching the two older women fret over Zale. 

“You have some explaining to do,” Uma said, side-eying Harry. She didn’t look too pleased. 

“We will take care of him, thank you for alerting us to this, Uma,” Fairy God Mother said and Uma nodded her head before grabbing Harry’s elbow and pulling him out the door.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me everytime I get a comment on this: *tries not to cry*  
also me: *cries*
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments! They truly mean a lot to me and I thank you! Please stay safe and SUPPORT THE USPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“What did you mean when you told him ‘storm came out of nowhere’?” Uma questioned once she shut Zale’s door. Harry frowned and looked away from her, not knowing what to say. He kind of forgot Uma was in the room for a few moments, he had been too worried over Zale to think about what he was saying. “Don’t lie to me. I already have Ben arguing with me over my necklace and Mal isn’t helping at all, I don’t need more problems.”

“It ain’t my thing to tell, Uma,” Harry muttered, torn. “I don’t wanna lie to ya but..”

“Then tell me. What is going on? Is this something to do with why Ben has been acting so strange?” 

“Nah, ain’t got a thing to do with beastie,” Harry said, shaking his head. Zale would be so hurt if Harry betrayed his trust by telling Uma, but Uma would be hurt that Harry didn’t trust her enough to tell her. What the hell was he supposed to do? “It’s complicated, Uma.”

“Then tell me everything. I know something is up,” Uma said and when Harry stayed quiet, she crossed her arms. “Fine, let me try guessing. He has fins, doesn’t he? I bet he can’t control them, or that his parents don’t know. Is that it?” 

Harry frowned and looked at the ground, not knowing what to do.

“So I’m right, but that can’t be all, right? Audrey told me how Zale is pretty level headed, but lately he seems to be in a lot of hot water and everytime something happens, everytime he raises his voice or shows frustration, it always seems to spark a thunderstorm, or rain, or wind. It happened when Ben outed him, it happened when Chad was chasing him down the hall, it’s happening right now, when he’s sick!” 

Harry bit his lip and kept staring at the ground. Zale was right, Uma was too smart. 

“Is that why Ben is so obsessed with getting my locket? With securing every source of magic he can get? Because Zale can’t control whatever magic he possesses?” 

“I ain’t know nothin’ ‘bout Beastie’s plans,” Harry said, looking up at her finally. “And Zale..”

“Don’t lie to me, Harry.”

“Zale just figured it out. He didn’t know before this past weekend,” Harry gave in, feeling the guilt in his stomach. “Ben doesn’t know, neither does Mal, ain’t no way they found out so fast,” Harry continued as Uma stared at him. “He just found out about it. His parents don’t know about any of it. Only you, me, Audrey, Jane, and Lonnie know.”

“What a mess,” Uma muttered, shaking her head. “How do they not know about any of this?” Uma questioned and Harry gave in completely. 

“It’s a long story, c’mon,” he said, directing her towards her room.

\--------------

“You know what’s going to happen when Ben finds out, don’t you?” Uma asked him after he told her the whole story on how they found out about the salt water effects and the storm powers. Harry made sure to only tell her the bare minimum, he didn’t want to invade Zale’s privacy more than he already had. 

“He’s not going to find out.” 

“Harry, this can’t be hidden for long. Eventually someone is going to wonder where all these sudden storms are coming from, someone else is going to tie them to Zale lashing out,” Uma continued and Harry hated that she was right. “If he finds out, Zale isn’t going to get to stay in Auradon.” 

“Do you think he’ll send him to the Isle?! No way, Zale is a Prince! He can’t ban him from his own kingdom!” Harry exclaimed as Uma continued to sit on her bed. 

“Not the Isle, but if Zale has unchecked and uncontrollable magical powers...he might order him to Atlantica,” Uma said and Harry paused. “Zale’s grandfather is probably the only one with any ability to help Zale, and everyone here will be terrified of him like that were with Audrey the first few months after the incident, except, they’ll continue to be terrified of him, because his powers are permanent.” 

“But…” Harry mumbled, not even considering any of that. He didn’t want to believe Ben would try to send Zale away, but if people were scared of the prince, Ben might. Who could ever be scared of Zale though? He was so gentle. “Then Zale just needs to get used to his powers.”

“It would help if we knew how he got them in the first place. You said his parents don’t know about any of it, the fins or powers, but, they have to know something to keep him from salt water. I bet something happened when he was born that was hidden.”

“How can I find out though? The only way Zale can is if he directly asks his parents or one of the castle employees that has been around since he was born,” Harry questioned, worried. “He’s going to be upset with me now that you know.”

“Just tell him I found out on my own, because it’s the truth. I doubt he’ll be that upset, especially if I am trying to help figure all of this out,” Uma said and Harry gave her a surprised look. “Why are you so surprised? You like him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do, a lot.” 

“Okay then, I’m not going to let him get thrown out to sea so easily. You’ll be miserable if he’s stuck underwater.”

“Ya….I really would be. I ain’t good at holdin’ my breath.” 

“I might be able to help with that.” 

\-------------

Zale woke up the next day feeling irritable and exhausted. There was a dull throb in the back of his head and he struggled to get ready for the day. He needed to get with his coach and see what the plan was for family day this weekend.

He really hoped the team picked the dunking booth over the pie throwing stall. 

When he got to his first class, he completely ignored the group of girls in the back that tried to call him over, and instead went straight for his desk and slumped down, rubbing his temples. 

“Rough night?” Uma questioned when she entered the room and saw him. He just looked up at her and back down at his desk, still rubbing his temples. He really didn’t want to talk today. He felt mean and disgusting and so uncomfortable in his skin and in his own mind. His insides felt so jumbled and tangled. “Guess so.” Uma continued and sat down at her desk in front of him. “Harry was really worried about you.”

“I was okay,” Zale forced out, rubbing his temples even harder. He would be fine. He would be fine. He just had to keep repeating that again and again. 

“You didn’t look it last night and you don’t look it now,” Uma said and Zale felt a flare up of anger but he forced it down. Where the hell was this temper coming from? He didn’t reply and stopped massaging his temples, giving up when he realized it wasn’t easing his headache at all. “I guess Harry was able to find you before class and tell you what happened yesterday. I knew you wouldn’t be happy, but, don’t be mad at Harry, it’s not his fault. He tried to cover for you.” 

Zale looked up at this, staring at the side of Uma’s face until she turned to face him. 

“You’re not mad at Harry, right?” Uma questioned and Zale shook his head no. Why would he be mad at Harry? Harry didn’t do anything wrong. 

“He tried to cover for me?” Zale asked, confused.

“I kind of backed him into a corner about it. Ben has kind of been on my back about my mother’s necklace, and I thought maybe you were in on it too. You better watch out for Ben, by the way. Once he figures out what you can do, he’s not going to be happy. You know how he is with magic,” Uma continued and Zale stared hard at her. 

“What did Harry tell you?” Zale asked, feeling his heart pick up it’s pace. Harry wouldn’t betray him. He wouldn’t tell Uma. He wouldn’t. The voice in the back of his head said differently, but Zale pushed it down. He didn’t need doubt clouding his vision. 

Uma stayed silent, expression becoming serious. 

“Uma, what do you know?” Zale said slowly, enunciating each word of the question as he leaned closer to her, making sure no one else would overhear. He felt the anger rising again and he tried to push it down but he knew it showed on his face. 

“So he didn’t tell you yet,” Uma said and Zale hardened his gaze. He was not going to play games with her. “I guessed right about the fins and powers, and he can’t lie well to me. After I knew, he explained it all to me to keep me from telling Mal or anyone else.” 

Zale felt a massive weight on his chest, and his heart hurt. Harry betrayed him? Harry told her everything? All the things Zale told him? Zale stood and grabbed his bookbag, dodging Uma’s attempt to grab him. He hurried out of the class as the teacher was coming in, ignoring them calling out to him. 

‘Harry betrayed you. He told her all of your secrets and fears’ the voice in Zale’s head said and he couldn’t push it out this time. He tried to push it down, push down the hurt and the anger he felt but he couldn’t. It felt like something else was controlling him. 

“Zale, Zale wait!” Uma called out and he turned to her as a crack of thunder roared from overhead. He continued down the hall and out into one of the courtyards and was met with dark clouds covering the sky, and powerful gusts of wind. “Zale!!”

It was too much for him, the voice in his head, Uma yelling from behind him, the anger, the hurt, he felt overwhelmed. He needed to get away from the school and think. He needed to think but it was so difficult right now. 

“Bubbles!” Zale turned at this, seeing Harry run out the school doors that were blown open by the wind. Had Uma called him to come? He stood next to her, both looking worried. 

‘They are scared of you’ Zale squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying again to block out the voice. They weren’t scared of him, but Zale was scared of himself, and that was enough. 

“Zale,” Zale opened his eyes to see Harry walking towards him, though he was struggling with the force of the winds pushing against him.

“No,” Zale said and the wind picked up, pushing Harry back. “You told her! You..you told her everything! I thought I could trust you!”

“Bubbles, ya can!!!” Harry shouted, trying to be heard over the wind. “Let me explain!”

”No!” Zale shook his head, and held up his hand as another roar of thunder shook the ground. He didn’t want to hurt Harry but everything felt so out of his control. He needed to get away from the school. “I can’t listen to it right now, I need space,” he pulled his hand back as rain and hail poured out from the clouds above and he took off in the opposite direction. 

He ran until he was off of the school grounds and slowed as he made it onto one of the hiking trails, the rain following him as he went. Once he made it to the enchanted lake, he stopped and leaned against one of the columns before sliding down to sit on the ground. 

Then he cried. 

He cried harder than he had the day Ben called him out in front of the whole school. He felt so betrayed, his heart ached, and he felt ashamed. He was a complete emotional mess. He could have hurt Uma and Harry, and even if he was mad at them, they didn’t deserve to be hurt. 

What was wrong with him? Why did he feel so angry? He never used to react that way, he never lashed out or called down storms. Was his temper shortening? Or were his powers too attuned to his emotions? Even the emotions he tried to push down? 

He heard leaves crunching and someone cursing, so he curled in on himself more, hoping they would just be passing by. 

“Zale!! Are yer out here?” Harry called out and Zale rested his forehead on his knees. He really didn’t want to talk to Harry. For once. 

“Go away,” he said, though it ended up sounding pathetic with how much he had been crying. His adrenaline rush from his earlier explosion of his powers had passed, and he could feel the ache in his legs from the running and hiking he had done. 

“Yer okay!” Harry replied and the footsteps got closer until Harry was upon him, finding him at the base of a column. “Zale, I’m sorry. I promise, I only told her the bare things! I ain’t told her nothin’ personal ‘bout you.”

“The powers and fins are pretty personal,” Zale looked away as Harry approached and crouched down in front of him. “I trusted you.”

“I know, I know…...I ain’t know she was goin’ question me like she did, and she’s my best friend too, Zale, I can’t lie to her,” Harry mumbled and Zale sighed. “I promise, I only told her ‘bout when you got the salt water splashed on ya, and how we confirmed the powers after the magazine incident, thats it! Oi, and ‘bout your parents not knowin’.”

“That’s all?” Zale questioned, looking at Harry. Harry looked absolutely drenched, which made Zale realize Harry had run after him, through the downpour and hail. 

“Yeah! Ain’t tell her ‘bout any of our conversations! Those are personal, I ain’t goin tell anyone ‘bout those, promise! And, I’m sorry..” 

Zale let out a deep sigh and rested his forehead on his knees again. The anger and hurt he felt earlier faded with Harry’s explanation. “I’m sorry, Harry…..I overreacted. I thought you told her everything, about my anxieties and fears. I felt betrayed,” he mumbled and he heard Harry shift and felt him move to sit next to him. “I don’t feel like myself.” 

“What ya mean?” 

“I got so angry so quickly, I don’t normally react like that. What if it’s my powers? What if they’re causing me to lash out more?” Zale looked up at Harry, furrowing his brows. “Harry, I could’ve hurt you and Uma today.”

“Oi, ya wouldn’t.”

“But I could! What do I do next time I slip? I felt so…..disgusting, earlier. My insides felt slimy and like something was controlling me, something I couldn’t beat.”

“We’ll figure it out then!” Harry exclaimed, eyes wide, looking worried. “Uma wants to help too. She said Ben has been buggin’ her ‘bout gettin’ her ma’s necklace. She thinks if Ben found out what you could do…”

“He’d banish me?” Zale questioned and Harry nodded his head. “Maybe I should be banished.”

“Oi, nah nah nah, don’t go sayin’ that, Bubbles,” Harry said, frowning. 

“But…” Zale sighed and rubbed his face. The self doubt and anger was gone, and his insides didn’t feel quite as disgusting as they had a few minutes prior. Was it because of Harry? 

“We just gotta find out where ya got the powers, that’ll help,” Harry said, putting his arm around Zale. “We can do it together, Bubbles, ain’t gotta do it alone.” 

Zale took a deep breath and let it out, nodding his head. “Okay, we figure it out together.. and, I’m sorry I pelted you with rain and hail,” Zale mumbled, frowning at Harry, who only smiled at him. How was Harry so forgiving when Zale could have hurt him! He unleashed an almost tropical storm level of power at Harry, and Harry wasn’t mad at him. 

Why was Harry so perfect? Zale couldn’t even fathom how he had gotten so upset before over such a simple miscommunication. He felt like his head was clear for the first time since yesterday’s incident. Maybe the headache had driven his powers out of control? 

“I deserved it, I should’ve found ya earlier this mornin’ and explained the whole situation. Kind of a mess,” Harry said. “But, thats behind us, now we can figure out whats goin’ on with yer powers.” 

“Ugh, why can’t I just be normal like everyone else!” Zale groaned, which made Harry laugh. 

“Mal can turn into a dragon and Uma can turn into a squid...octopus thing. Ain’t much normal ‘round here,” Harry said and stood, pulling Zale up with him. “So, we’re skippin’ class the rest of the day, yeah?”

“I’m turning into a bad influence. You know Fairy Godmother will be upset if you skip remedial goodness,” Zale said and Harry shrugged. 

“Yeah yeah, I think I’m good enough, don’t ya think?” Harry asked and smirked at Zale who only raised his brows and continued staring at Harry. “Oi anyway! I got something cool to show ya! Wanna go for a swim?”

“But...thought we said no more enchanted lake swims?” Zale said, though it was tempting. 

“Ya made it rain so hard, no one is goin’ come up here, plus, people are in class!” Harry said, already taking off his jacket and laying it out on a rock. “C’mon, I think you’ll like my surprise.”

“What’s your surprise?” Zale questioned and then froze when Harry started unbuttoning his pants. “The surprise isn’t you getting naked, is it?!”

“No! I ain’t swimmin’ in my pants, I can swim in my boxers,” Harry said and laid his pants and shirt out on the rock with his stuff. “C’mon Bubbles, you know you want to,” Harry reached into his pant pocket and pulled something out, it looked like a fruit gummy, and popped it in his mouth. 

“Fine, fine,” Zale took off his own shirt and pants, and attempted to lay them out so they could properly dry, but Harry ran up behind him and grabbed him from around his waist and lifted him up. “H-Hey!! What are you doing!!!”

“Ya too slow and I got a time limit on this thing!” Harry said and ran towards the lake, tossing Zale in before he jumped in after him. Harry opened his eyes under the water and saw a very irritated Zale, fin and gills out. 

“I wasn’t ready! My clothes won’t dry properly now,” Zale muttered.

“They’ll be fine!” Harry exclaimed and Zale stared at him, which made Harry grin. “See! Cool, innit?”

“How are you able to breathe and talk under the water?” Zale asked, swimming closer to Harry to examine him over. “Secret gills or something?”

“Told Uma ‘bout how I wanted to swim underwater with ya for longer than two minutes, but ya know, normal humans can’t do that. She made this weird treat for me and bam! I can talk and breathe underwater, but only for an hour.”

“That’s amazing!” Zale exclaimed, looking at Harry in awe. He never had someone to swim with underwater before! Well, a human to swim with. “Want to race? I think I can swim faster and stay underwater longer now with the new gills. Guess they aren’t salt water only?” Zale questioned and Harry realized Zale did have all of his salt water fins and gills. It was like a mermaid upgrade. 

“It ain’t give me better swimmin’ skills,” Harry said and tried to swim, but didn’t get very far. Zale took Harry’s hands and pulled him along, picking up speed as they went. 

“Okay okay slow down,” Harry held on tightly to the redhead, who just laughed and kept swimming. “Guess it’s been a while since you’ve gotten to swim.”

“It has been, I missed this, and I’m really happy I can swim with you,” Zale said, smiling at Harry as he slowed down. 

“Oi, goin’ make me blush, Bubbles,” Harry said, still holding on to Zale. He thought back to what Uma said about Atlantica and frowned. Maybe Zale would like it better there?

“What’s wrong?” Zale said, stopping when he noticed Harry’s change in mood. 

“Wouldn’t ya be happier in the sea? In Atlantica?” 

“Hm? What made you think that?” Zale questioned, swimming around Harry. “Of course, I would like to visit, but, I’ve faced the fact that no matter what world I’m a part of, land or sea, half of me will never belong. In the ocean, I’m still half human, I have that ability to go walk on the shore, and I’m sure a lot of merpeople might look down on that, or think I’m the odd one out. Same with humans. I haven’t been to Atlantica yet, so I can’t really say if I would be happy there, but, none of my friends are there, so I doubt I would be happier.” 

“Dunno, ya just seem so happy being able to swim around, I just thought…”

“Harry, I’m this happy because I get to swim with you,” Zale said, taking one of Harry’s hands again and smiling at him. “I’ve been feeling really awful lately, especially last night and today, and this is so much fun. I feel a million times better, and that’s because I’m with you,” Zale said, staring hard at the hand he was holding. He felt awkward after he said this. Why did he have to make everything seem so intense? “I-I’m sorry, I still don’t seem to be very good at expressing myself through words. I feel like that maybe came off kind of intense.” 

“It was sweet, Bubbles, thank ya,” Harry said, putting his free hand on top of Zale’s. “Actually, uh, there’s somethin’ I wanna tell ya.” 

After last night, Harry couldn’t get the thought of Zale leaving out of his mind. He didn’t want Zale to leave, and he definitely didn’t want him to leave without Harry telling him how he felt. Then again, was now really the best time? Zale basically had an emotional meltdown that almost caused a tropical storm also an hour ago. What if Harry’s confession was too much for Zale and he freaked out?

“What’s up?” Zale asked, waiting for Harry to tell him. 

“I uh, have been in the mood for sushi. Maybe we can go get some after swimming?” Harry wimped out, inwardly sighing. Zale squeezed his hand, smiling widely at him. 

“Me too!! Of course, I’d love to, you know I’m always down for sushi with you,” Zale said and Harry’s heart flipped. Zale was so happy right now, he didn’t want to upset him. “I thought you had something more serious to say.”

“Nah, come on let’s swim, I don’t got forever with this breathin’ magic.”

\----------

“Oops,” Harry mumbled as Zale shook the water out of his hair. Harry looked down at his phone, seeing multiple missed calls from Uma, Jane, and Audrey. 

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Zale questioned and Harry flashed him his phone screen. “Oops.”

“Yup,” Harry muttered and dialed Uma’s phone, walking a little ways away from Zale. 

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!” Audrey’s voice came from the other line and Harry could hear her and Uma arguing for a few seconds before Uma had the phone in her control again.

“Harry, what happened?” Uma questioned.

“We went swimmin’ and we’re ‘bout to get lunch, everythin’ is okay, we talked,” Harry explained and heard two sighs of relief on the other end. “Did anyone see his outburst?” 

“No, only us. Did my breathing gummy work? How’d he react?” Uma asked and Harry smiled, thinking back to how happy Zale had been.

“Oi, he loved it, thought I developed magical power or somethin’,” Harry replied and he heard Audrey ‘aw’ on the other end. “He was really happy…”

“Did you tell him!?” Audrey asked and Harry could hear Uma mumbling and telling her to get off. 

“Wimped out,” Harry said as Zale put his clothes back on and looked over at him, confused. “Anyway, we’re fine, gotta go, bye!”

“Did I hear Audrey?” Zale asked and Harry put the phone down so he could get redressed now that he was almost dry. 

“Yeah, her and Uma must be hangin’ out or somethin’, dunno, they’re just happy we’re okay.”

“I bet she was really worried,” Zale mumbled, looking upset again. “I need to get this under control. I don’t normally get so angry, it must’ve been because of how crappy I felt this morning. I still don’t know what made me sick yesterday.” 

“Nothin’ ya ate?” Harry asked, grabbing his phone again while Zale grabbed his backpack.

“Truth be told, I don’t remember much of yesterday,” Zale admitted, brushing back his bangs and joining Harry at his side. “It’s all really fuzzy. I remember I spoke to Ben, I think he apologized, then I went to swim practice but coach sent me back to my room.”

“Maybe yer just exhausted?” Harry questioned and Zale shrugged. “Let’s get some food in ya, then we can figure it all out.”

\---------

“I still don’t remember anything,” Zale mumbled as they made their way back to the school after lunch. “Maybe I should just...tell my parents this weekend?”

“How do ya think they’ll take it?” Harry asked and Zale shrugged. “Ya know normally I’m up for not knowin’ the odds, but that ain’t soundin’ too….great,” Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing. “Oi, what a mess.”

“A huge one,” Zale muttered. “I’m just worried that next time I...snap, I’ll hurt someone.”

“But Bubbles-”

“I know, I would never hurt someone, yeah, not intentionally, but accidentally? We can’t ignore that possibility. How I reacted today scared me, a lot. What if I had hurt you Harry?”

“I would’ve been fine!” Harry replied, not about to let Zale toture himself with what-ifs.

“Harry Hook!!” They both turned to see a very angry Fairy Godmother storming towards them, and Harry was ready to bolt, his first reaction to anyone yelling at him, but that wouldn’t help him much since she knew where his room was. “How dare you skip school today!!!”

“It was my fault!” Zale said before Harry could open his own mouth. “I’m so sorry, Fairy Godmother. I wasn’t feeling well today, so Harry looked after me, so it’s my fault he missed class.” 

She looked between the two of them before putting her hands on her hips and sighing. “Well, thank you for being honest, but if you still weren’t feeling well, you should have gone to the nurse! We are days away from Family Day and I do not need added stress right now. What if you had gotten more hurt? Honestly, you boys,” she shook her head and motioned for Zale to follow her. “Come along, I will see you back to your room. Harry, get to your remaining classes of the day.” 

“Yes ma’am!” Harry said with a playful salute that did not make her laugh. “See ya later, Bubbles.” 

“Bye Harry,” Zale said and hurried off after Fairy Godmother. Harry watched them go and he could tell she was giving Zale a long lecture. Poor Bubbles. He continued his way to one of the courtyards at the school, not wanting to go to class, but knowing Fairy God Mother would be checking in with his teachers to see if he did.

“Hey, where’s Zale?” Jane asked, waving him over to her and Lonnie. “Wasn’t he with you?”

“Yeah, but yer mum snatched him up and is takin’ him back to his dorm since he’s still feelin’ not so great,” Harry really wanted to finish his conversation with Zale. They shouldn’t have came back to the school right after lunch. “And I don’t think I’m allowed to visit him for the rest of the day.”

“Well, you run off with a Prince, heads will roll,” Jane said, frowning. “Yeah, if he’s still not feeling well, she’ll probably put him on lock down until Family Day. The last thing my mom wants is a royal missing or sick before their parents show up.” 

“Yeah yeah, but we were safe,” Harry said.

“Until something else upsets Zale,” Lonnie said with a frown. “Uma told us about this morning, I’m really worried about him. Do you think we should tell his parents?”

“If Bubbles reacted like that when I told Uma, imagine how hurt he’ll be if ya go tellin’ his parents,” Harry said, not liking her suggestion. “It’s between him and his parents, not us.”

“Harry is right, it’s not our place to tell his parents,” Jane said, taking Harry’s side. “I think.”

“Ya think?” Harry questioned, not liking that back tracking. “Oi, it’s somethin’ Bubbles gotta do, ain’t our place! Besides, ya wanna be the ones to get him banished to Atlantica?” 

“No, of course not,” Lonnie said as the bell rang for class. “We’re late!” 

“Great,” Harry muttered, hurrying off to class. Once he got there, he didn’t even pay attention to the lecture. He kept thinking about Zale, and how he looked today in the midst of his self made storm. His eyes were almost glowing, and it was almost as if he was struggling for control over his own body. 

Were the powers natural to him? Or were they a curse controlled by someone else? Did he have them at birth and they were sealed away? Why did they activate when he came in contact with salt water for the first time? Why would Zale’s parents hide this from him? From the world? Did they know this would happen? Did they think Zale couldn’t control them?

Nothing was making any sense. Why wouldn’t Zale’s parents tell him? Unless they were worried about how he would react? Still, why try to cover it up?


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for the kudos and comments and bookmarks! I greatly greatly appreciate it!

“Someone’s in a sour mood,” Audrey teased at lunch the next day, smirking when Harry glared at her. “Don’t get mad at me that Fairy GodMother gave Zale detention.”

“Why didn’t she give me detention too!?” He questioned and Uma rolled her eyes. “I was the one that convinced him to skip school!”

“But he took the blame for you, and no way was she going to reward you two by letting you sit in a classroom together all day,” Uma said and continued to eat her cup of fruit. “She knows you two are trouble.”

“So unfair,” Harry muttered, frowning down at his food. He had so many questions and things he wanted to discuss with Zale, plus he was still worried about him. 

“You’ve got it real bad,” Uma said, watching him pout. 

“It’s hard to be away from the person you care about!” Audrey said, defending Harry. “Plus, I am a little worried about Zale too. He doesn’t normally have outbursts like that, it’s unlike him.” 

“Well, he’s been quiet most of his life, he’s probably been holding back with how he feels,” Uma said, making a good point. “Harry brings it out in him I bet. He doesn’t feel the need to silence himself when he’s around Harry, ‘cuz Harry can take whatever he throws at him.” 

“He can be himself around me too,” Audrey said with a pout, why she was sitting with them, Harry didn’t know. He guessed she and Uma had a lot more in common than they realized. 

“Audrey, it’s because Zale is in love with Harry, or whatever,” Uma said and Harry put his head on the table. “So you don’t see the puppy dog eyes he gives you and how happy he gets when you spend time with him?”

“Don’t say love,” Harry muttered, not wanting to think about that. “Do not.”

“Harry, I know we didn’t grow up in a loving household with doting parents but….normally after liking someone, and them liking you back, and you two dating, love eventually happens.”

“We ain’t even datin’!” Harry told her, looking up. He didn’t want to admit how happy that made him. Younger him would be cringing so hard right now. Never did he ever, EVER, think love would be a possibility in his life, or something that he wanted. 

“Awah how sweet though,” Audrey said, mood lifted with more romantic topics. “Oh!! I had a breakthrough idea!”

“Lay it on us, princess,” Harry said, humoring Audrey, and wanting off of this topic. There were so many other things going on right now than love. 

“True love!” She exclaimed and Harry rolled his eyes at that. Where was she going with this? Did she even have a point? “Whenever Zale gets upset, you calm him down, right?” 

“Cuz we’re best mates!”

“Ugh, you don’t see it,” Audrey sighed, pouting again. “I will prove it.”

Uma sighed, great, now she had two pouting messes. 

“Or maybe it’s the powers giving him another outlet for his emotions. None of us know at the moment, at least not until Jane can dig around in her mother’s office, though I doubt she’ll find anything,” Uma added. Jane was the best one to go to about stuff like this, since she had access to her mother’s office and database. Maybe Fairy Godmother had a whole book on all the kingdoms and their history? No one knew, so it was their only option so far. 

“He wasn’t like himself yesterday durin’ that storm,” Harry said, frowning again.

“He actually scared me a little in class,” Uma admitted, finishing her fruit cup. “He was so….there was this rage about him. Are you sure he’s not normally like that? Maybe this whole quiet boy act is a front.”

“It’s not,” Harry and Audrey said at the same time. 

“Well, it’s got to do with the powers then. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t feeling well? Anything could be a factor in this”

“But he hasn’t acted like that before, even when he was upset about the paparazzi, he was able to reign it in, right?” Audrey questioned, looking to Harry. 

“Yeah yeah, Bubbles controlled it pretty well. Knocked over a statue in his garden with some wind, but that was it,” Harry said. “It was just, so weird. He could recognize us, but I don’t think he was the one controlling the powers entirely.” 

“Do you think something was pushing him to lash out?” Uma asked with raised brows. “I get what you mean though, I got the same feeling from Ben.”

“So great, something is making everyone go mad?” Audrey questioned. “I already went crazy and I would prefer not to do that again. I hope Family Day goes smoothly.”

“What is Family Day anyway?” Uma questioned. 

“It’s when families come to visit and it’s like a little festival. There’s food and singing and it’s pretty fun. The choir is going to perform and even though I didn’t get a solo I’m still excited. I tried to get Zale to join, but he refused.” 

“Bubbles can sing?” Harry questioned, surprised. 

“Are we goin’ have to participate? We don’t even have families here,” Uma asked, not understanding the point of the whole thing.

“Of course he can sing, he just doesn’t like to. Yes you participate, it’s just going to be a little carnival so just hang out with people. I can introduce you to my family if you want, my grammy is only a little crazy,” Audrey said with a smile and Uma shot Harry a look. “Oh don’t make that face, Uma!”

“Wasn’t she part of the reason you went bad?”

“Well, yes, but we have moved past that!” Audrey said.

“He can sing and he never told me!” Harry said and both girls rolled their eyes. 

\--

“Hey, Harry!” Zale exclaimed, catching Harry’s attention. He turned and saw the redhead jogging after him, clearly he just left swim practice with the clothes he was wearing. 

“Oi, Bubbles, ya free from the godmother’s watch?” Harry questioned once Zale caught up to him. 

“Yes! I can’t believe she really gave me detention. I’ve never had detention before,” Zale muttered, bumping his shoulder against Harry’s accidentally. “And my mom called and was so worried I had gotten into a fight or something. Do I look like a fighter?”

“Nah, that’s more my job,” Harry replied and Zale rolled his eyes. 

“Anyway, she’s excited to visit this weekend. Uh, actually, there’s something I have to ask you, but you can say no!!” Zale said and Harry stopped walking and shot him a confused look. Zale looked nervous, so what was he about to ask? “Okay um, so my mom is planning for us to go to dinner when they get here tomorrow, and she wanted to know if….if you would want to join us for dinner? Actually, she didn’t really….ask, she just said ‘bring Harry with you!’ and that was kind of it…...but if you don’t want to come it’s fine!”

“Yer parents wanna invite me to dinner? Be seen in public with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with being seen in public with you,” Zale said, looking a little defeated. “My mom really likes you, is something wrong with that? I know she’s…...a lot, but she has good intentions. She just wants to be friends with everyone, but I understand…”

“Woah, Bubbles, I ain’t said no! Of course I’ll join ya for dinner. I quite like yer mum, she’s nice,” Harry said and Zale perked back up. “I just didn’t wanna embarrass ‘em or anythin’.”

“They don’t care about where you're from or who your dad is, Harry. You know that,” Zale said and then went quiet. “But….”

“But what?” Harry asked, eying Zale.

“You already agreed to come so you can’t take it back! But….my grandfather might be coming,” Zale said the last part so quietly, Harry could barely hear him. 

“Bubbles, come again?”

“My grandfather. He might be coming. You might meet him,” Zale said and Harry froze. “I know, I know, it’s going to be so awkward! I haven’t seen him in so long! But, hey, he might not come!”

“The king of Atlantica?!” Harry exclaimed, his initial shock fading. “That grandfather? With the triton? Who helped banish the villains to the Isle?”

“Yes……..BUT! He might not even come!” Zale replied, trying to calm Harry down. 

“Bubbles, if he comes he’s going to kill me,” Harry said and when Zale didn’t say anything to reassure him, he panicked. “This is the part where you tell me that he wouldn’t.”

“He’s just protective, but, my mom and I will defend you! I’m sure he’ll be happy I have a new friend!” Zale said, trying not to think about how angry his grandfather might be to hear Zale’s new best friend was a villain kid. 

A villain kid that Zale really liked

He really was his mother’s son. 

Always having to go after the unattainable. 

“I will defend you. I’m sure you know this, but rebellion runs in my veins,” Zale said, giving Harry a comforting smile. 

“Thank ya, Bubbles,” Harry said, melting at Zale’s smile. He was so cute! Harry hated it. “You know, we gotta be extra careful this weekend.”

“Why?” Zale questioned. “Oh, I guess with the powers and everything. Of course, I need to try to stay calm.”

“Well, yeah, that, but also,” Harry said, gesturing to how close to Harry Zale was standing. “Press is goin’ be ‘round for bits of this thing, right? Ain’t goin’ be good if another story runs ‘bout us with yer granddad around.”

“Oh!” Zale exclaimed, taking a step back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even realize I was so close...and yes, that wouldn’t be good. I don’t want you to get into more drama.”

“It’s fine, Bubbles, I just don’t wanna get blasted with a triton just because I’m standing next to you,” Harry said. “Guess we just need to watch ourselves, ya can’t be flirtin’’ with me all day like you always do.”

“W-What?! I do not!” Zale exclaimed, cheeks and ears getting red. 

“Oi oi, calm down! I’m kiddin’ with ya,” Harry said, patting his shoulder. “Look at ya, all red faced, ya look adorable Bubbles.” 

“Don’t tease me, you know I get flustered easily,” Zale turned away and Harry moved behind him to be on his other side, smirking at how embarrassed Zale still was. “Don’t do that!” Zale turned the other way and moved away from Harry, who only followed after him. 

“Don’t shy away! I like seein’ ya all flustered,” Harry teased.

“You’re the worst Harry Hook,” Zale muttered, frowning at Harry. 

“I am pretty bad, thank ya,” Harry said, pleased. Zale only rolled his eyes and bumped into Harry playfully, the reddening in his cheeks disappearing as he calmed down. “And look at that,” Harry said, nodding towards the window of the hallway they were in. “Not a cloud in sight, only sunshine. I think ya got a lot more control over ‘em powers than ya think.” 

“That’s because I’m with you,” Zale said, looking up at the sky through the window. “They have a habit of staying tamer whenever you’re around. I guess you’re just that comforting to me. Weird, huh?” Zale questioned then looked to Harry, who didn’t respond. “You okay?”

“Yup, yup fine Bubbles!” Harry said, turning away and putting a hand over his chest. Zale really didn’t understand the implications of his words sometimes. He was so cute. 

“Did I do something?” Zale asked, more concerned now. 

“No, no, Bubbles, ya just always got a way of makin’ me feel special, that’s all,” Harry confessed, feeling his stomach flip when Zale smiled at him. 

“That’s because you are special to me,” Zale said, still smiling, and Harry felt like he was going to have a heart attack. 

This was terrible! Why did anyone want to have romantic feelings for others if you always felt like you were about to die everytime they smiled at you? 

“Did I say something upsetting?” Zale questioned, frowning when Harry continued to stare at him. “I’m sorry, I-”

“No, no! It’s fine Bubbles! Just wasn’t expectin’ ya to say that,” Harry said regained his composure. “It wasn’t bad, not at all, just, sounds like you were confessin to me.”

“Oh!” Zale exclaimed, looking like he was getting flustered again. “Okay okay I see now, yeah, uh, yeah I need to work on my words and how I express my feelings. I’m so sorry, that came out differently than I thought.” 

“I told ya that ya flirt with me all the time, Bubbles. I know, I’m irresistible,” Harry teased, lightening the mood. “I’ll allow it though, so don’t feel like ya gotta hold yourself back around me. I enjoy it.”

“You do?” Zale questioned and Harry paused and looked at Zale. They both stared at each other and Harry felt the tension between them growing the longer Harry went without saying anything. 

He needed to ask Zale out. He had to tell him. 

“Well yeah, of course, who doesn’t like to be flattered all the time?” Harry said and Zale nodded his head and kept walking. 

“Of course! Well, I don’t, I always feel uncomfortable, but, it’s not surprising that you do,” Zale rambled and Harry followed after him, sighing. Even when he was awkward, Zale was still cute.

Why was Harry so scared of telling him? Obviously Zale felt some kind of way towards him romantically, so he wouldn’t get turned down! 

“Hey! You guys!” Jane exclaimed, running towards them. “I can’t slow down someone help!!!” Harry held out his arm and she slid into it, but didn’t fall over, which is all that mattered. “Thank you Harry! Anyway! I searched my mother’s office.”

“And?” Zale asked as Jane caught her breath.

“Something happened when you were a baby. I found this journal that seemed to be her accounts of everyone’s births and the day we were ‘shown off’ to the public, you, Chad’s Audrey’s, you know? I guess she really sees herself as the Royal God Mother,” Jane explained. “Anyway, your chapter was spelled, and I know because everyone else’s was very thorough, and your’s wasn’t. You had multiple blank pages in your chapter, so I think she spelled them to hide them so no one could find out. It was the day you were ‘shown off’ to the public.”

“What the hell happened to you?” Harry questioned, looking to Zale. 

“I don’t know,” Zale said, trying not to freak out over it. “Do you think that’s why the wall was built?” 

“That has to be it! You were around a year old, according to the date in the journal, when you had your ‘debut’ or whatever they liked to do. It fits with the time the wall was built,” Jane said, looking at the both of them. “Were you cursed? Maybe kidnapped?”

“Why has no one told me about this?” Zale questioned. “Was it traumatic? Is that why I didn’t talk much as a kid?”

“How did we get more questions than answers?” Harry asked the both of them, frowning. 

“I think the only way to find out is to ask your parents,” Jane said, making Zale sigh. “I know you don’t want to but, what if the powers aren’t good?”

“That's the only option I have, other than ignoring it,” Zale muttered and Jane’s phone began ringing. 

“It’s my mom….gotta go!” Jane said and answered the phone before hurrying back down the hallway. 

“So, you’re goin’ tell ‘em this weekend?” Harry asked and Zale stared out the window for a few moments before sighing. 

“I don’t know.” 

\--

“Hey,” Harry called out, lounging on Zale’s couch as the male took a shower, trying to get all of the chlorine off of him from practice, and trying to relax and not panic over what Jane told him. Though that was difficult. “Audrey told me you could sing.”

“Why would she tell you that?” Zale asked, voice a bit muffled by the water. “Ignore her.” 

“She said you didn’t like to sing. Do ya get embarrassed?” Harry continued, a little amused. He would love to hear Zale sing, but he doubted that would ever happen. 

“Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?” Zale replied and Harry heard the shower turn off. 

“‘Cuz ya been goin’ through some silent turmoil since Jane left us and I’m tryin’ to give ya somethin’ else to think ‘bout,” Harry said and Zale popped his wet head out of his bathroom to shoot Harry a look. “And cuz I wanna hear ya sing, Bubbles. Can’t believe you ain’t told me ‘bout it.” 

“When would that ever come up organically in a conversation?” Zale asked once he was back in the bathroom. “It’s not like I was actively hiding it from you.”

“Do you not like singin’ or ya just don’t like the attention?” Harry asked, swinging his hook around his finger. 

“Singing is fine, I used to do it a lot when I swam in the lake alone. Don’t tell anyone that though, that’s embarrassing,” Zale said, coming out of the bathroom dressed, hair still damp. “I just don’t really have much reason to sing? Do you like singing?”

“Nah but thats cuz I ain’t got a voice like yours, bet ya can really belt it out,” Harry said and Zale rolled his eyes before joining him on the couch. 

“Why are you so interested in my singing voice?” Zale asked and Harry shrugged. 

“Oi, I am deeply hurt that ya never sang for me, Bubbles, ” Harry replied and almost hit himself in the head with his hook. “Oop, that would’ve made for a nasty cut. Anyway.”

“Be careful, you dummy,” Zale said, reaching for the hook, but Harry pulled away. “You want me to sing for you? Are you being serious?”

“Ya, of course. I like ya voice, so why wouldn’t I wanna hear it singin’?” Harry asked, swinging the hook around again. “How ‘bout after this weekend, we get dinner, hit up the lake and you serenade me?” 

“Are you being serious?” Zale said while chuckling. It sounded like Harry was asking Zale on a date. 

“Yeah, c’mon, my treat,” Harry said. “Even if ya don’t serenade me, it’ll be fun! There’s a lot we don’t know and this whole weekend might be a disaster but it’ll give ya somethin’ to look forward to. I might even serenade ya.”

“Oh really?” Zale asked playfully. “Dinner, an evening swim, and the possibility of being serenaded? Sounds oddly romantic for you, Hook.”

“We can make it a date if ya want, Bubbles,” Harry said and Zale froze and stared at him. Harry just stared back at him, realizing the longer he stayed quiet, the less likely he could turn this into a joke and get himself out of it. 

He stayed quiet. 

He had to do this. 

“What?” Zale asked, shock wearing off. “You’re being serious? You? You want to take me on a date?”

“Yeah, do you wanna go on a date with me?” Harry asked with a serious tone, feeling his heartbeat against his chest loudly. Could Zale hear it? Or was it just amplified because he was nervous? 

“SURPRISE!” Ariel yelled as she threw open Zale’s dorm door. Zale screamed and almost fell off the couch, while Harry clutched his chest, heart beating even faster. “Well that’s not the reaction I wanted.”

“I told you to knock,” Eric said from behind her, looking at the two boys. “You two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“What are you two doing here!?” Zale asked, turning to look at them. He looked back to Harry and then back to his parents, shooting them a look. Why did they have to walk in right at that moment and ruin everything? “Uh, Harry-” 

“We wanted to surprise you! Well, I wanted to surprise you! You know how your father is,” Ariel said as they both entered the room. “Did we interrupt something?”

“No, no,” Harry said, standing. “I was just leavin’, I’ll see ya tomorrow, Bubbles. Think ‘bout what I said,” Harry said and Zale just weakly nodded his head, staring after him as he went. When the door shut behind him, Zale whipped his head around to look at his parents.

“What are you guys doing! You-Harry! He!” Zale exclaimed, getting off the couch to pace. How could Harry just! Ask him out like that and then LEAVE! “How to respond! To that!”

“Wait, what happened? What did we do? Use your words, sweetie,” Ariel said, confused. “What happened?”

“He!” Zale just pointed at the door before turning towards his parents. “This has never happened to me. Do I wait? Do I go now?” He continued his hand gestures, pacing hard as he thought. “Ugh!”

“What is happening?” Eric questioned, watching his son’s freak out.

“I need to go talk to Harry!” Zale said and ran past his parents and out of his dorm room. He didn’t see Harry anywhere, so he ran down the hallway, hoping he could catch him on his way to his own room. 

How could Harry just ask him so suddenly! And why did Zale take so long to reply! He was so stupid! 

“Harry!” Zale called out, almost falling down the stairs after him when he saw him. He could not hesitate here! 

“Woah, Bubbles, wh-”

“Yes!” Zale said as Harry caught him on the last step. “Yes to the date! And to other possible dates afterwards! You just...you caught me off guard and then my parents came in and then I forgot how to speak for a brief moment but I remembered and I am telling you yes I want to date you!

“Really?” Harry asked, staring at Zale, who looked adorably flustered. “It’s barely been a minute, did ya really think ‘bout it? Cuz, Bubbles, datin’ me ain’t goin’ be easy on ya reputation.”

“I’m the difficult one. I’m most likely cursed, Harry, cursed! I could fall asleep for 100 years or turn to seafoam or be banished away. I won’t be hurt if you take back the date offer,” Zale said, looking at Harry. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea that aren’t cursed, or dangerous.” 

“I don’t care ‘bout any of that, Bubbles, you’re the fish I want, and if ya want me too, then let’s go out,” Harry said, keeping an arm around Zale and looking at him. 

“So, Monday after class?”

“Yeah!” Harry grinned and they both turned when they heard footsteps from above.

“Are you okay, your highness?” Chadwick said, poking his head over the railing to look down at them. 

“Y-Yes I’m fine!” Zale said as Harry let him go, still grinning at the flustered red head. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course, Bubbles! See ya tomorrow,” Harry said and Zale hurried back up the stairs and joined the bodyguard. He continued on to his room, slowing as he neared Uma’s room, the door slightly cracked, with other voices coming out of the room. 

“Just try on this outfit, I promise it will look good!” Harry peaked in and saw Audrey holding up a dress to Uma, while Celia sat on her bed, playing with her Tarot cards. “Gold is very flattering on your skin.”

“How many outfits are you going to make me try on?” Uma questioned, annoyed. 

“Oi, playin’ dress up are we?” Harry asked, startling Celia, but Audrey and Uma didn’t seem fazed. “Ya left ya door cracked.”

“It’s fine, there’s so many security guards around this place with all the royal families coming in, we’re safe,” Audrey said, trying to force Uma into the bathroom to change. “What are you doing wandering around the hallways? Why aren’t you with Zale?”

“His parents came in early,” Harry said, joining Celia on the bed. She held out her tarot cards to him and he decided to entertain her. He didn’t believe in tarot cards but the girl was obviously bored. 

“Ooooo!” Celia said as she flipped the card Harry picked. “The lovers. I have a feeling you’ll be faced with choices regarding love in the future. I also see a supportive relationship in your future.” 

“I told you!” Audrey said, overhearing this after shutting the bathroom door on Uma. “Uma did you hear the card reading for Harry?!”

“No because I’m strugglin’ with this dress!” Uma said back and they heard her grunt before the door was open and she came out in short gold dress with long sleeves. “I hate this. What did the card reading say?”

“Ain’t nothin’ important, ya look good!” Harry said, brushing it off, though the reading made him pretty happy, even though it was a little too accurate. How did she do that?

“Harry got the lovers card, upright. I see a supportive relationship in his future, but this also follows with possibly difficult choices,” Celia explained and Audrey looked so happy while Uma raised her brows and looked at Harry. 

“I bet one of those difficult choices will be asking Zale out,” Uma said and Harry just looked away and made a move to get up. He didn’t want to tell anyone until after the first date and unfortunately for him he was in a room with three of the smartest females he knew. 

“Wait a second,” Audrey said, moving closer to Harry. “You look really happy. Normally when you’re time with Zale gets cut short, you’re not happy, you’re mad.”

“Why are ya readin’ into this? Can’t I be happy hangin’ out with all of ya?” Harry questioned and Uma shot him a look. 

“The choice I saw wasn’t asking someone out,” Celia said and smirked at Harry. 

“Don’t go lyin’, ain’t no way you can tell what kind of choices,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “Ugh, okay fine I asked him out.”

“YOU WHAT!” Audrey exclaimed, eyes lighting up. “Tell me everything!” 

“I asked him out, he said yes, we’re goin’ out Monday, what else do ya wanna know?” Harry said, crossing his arms. “Ain’t no big deal.”

“We’ve been trying to get you to ask him out for months,” Uma said, leaning against the bed in the dress. “I thought you wanted to wait until family day was over and we figured out what happened to him?”

“Yeah, well, it just, happened,” Harry said, thinking back on it and how surprised Zale looked when Harry asked him. “His parents interrupted us so I just thought he’d let me know tomorrow but he ran after me and we figured it out.”

“Did you kiss?” Audrey questioned. “If you don’t tell me I can just call Zale and ask. He tells me everything, he can’t help it.” 

“Nah don’t go botherin’ Bubbles when he’s with his parents. We ain’t kissed, relax,” Harry shook his head but Audrey still looked excited. 

“This is so great!!! Oh I bet Zale is so so happy right now!” Audrey exclaimed and Uma used this moment to go back into the bathroom and change out of the dress. 

“I thought you and Zale were already dating?” Celia questioned, looking at Harry with an amused expression. “You act like it, and here I thought you were a big bad pirate who would never fall in love.” 

“Oi, ain’t no one said nothin’ ‘bout love,” Harry told her. “And I am a big bad pirate still, even if I got a date, and you’ll find out how bad if you go spreadin’ this info around the school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally don’t do end notes but! I was considering adding the ship of Uma & Audrey, but I wanted feedback if this would be something you, the readers, would be interested in. If not, I can easily keep them as friends, but I thought I would ask! 
> 
> Also, I recently got back on tumblr and so if any of you are on there or know fun descendant blogs, please let me know! A lot of blogs I used to follow are inactive and I would love to follow more! My tumblr is @ folkloreofalover ! Once again, thanks for the feedback!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all of the feedback!! I appreciate it so much and I hope y’all enjoy the chapter

“How are you feeling?”

Zale jumped at his and turned from his locker to see Ben and Mal together to his right. “Oh, uh, I’m fine?”

“Fairy Godmother told me you weren’t feeling too well,, but I’m glad to hear you’re doing better,” Ben continued. “I wouldn’t want you missing out on the festivities, or the dunk tank with the swim team.”

“Oh, we’ll have to check out the dunk tank. Too bad Chad isn’t on the swim team, Evie would have fun getting him dunked,” Mal joked, which made Zale feel a little better. He could feel Ben staring at him and it made him uneasy, which, was weird. Ben was a childhood friend, out of everyone, he should feel comfortable with him, but he didn’t. 

“Oi, Bubbles!” Harry called from behind Mal and Ben, and Zale couldn’t stop the wide smile on his own face. “Beastie, Queenie,” Harry said, greeting them both as he got closer. 

“Harry, hey,” Zale said and tried to content his excitement at seeing Harry. His mother wouldn’t stop asking questions last night and he just went mute on her, which of course didn’t work because they all know sign language, but it at least it helped him lie better. 

“Hey Harry, you look chipper. Finally settling in to Auradon Prep?” Mal asked, looking at the smile on his face. “You look like you’ve been enjoying yourself more.”

“I would be even better if I ain’t have to sit in remedial goodness class,” Harry said, eying the both of them. “I am the picture of a good lad.”

“Are you?” Zale asked playfully and Harry elbowed him gently. 

“Bubbles, gotta side with me, mates always side with each other,” Harry told him, feeling ridiculously happy just standing next to him. Mal eyed him again and he hoped she didn’t say anything. Since she had known him on the Isle for years, she would notice if he began acting ‘out of character’ and dating a Prince could be counted as acting out of character. 

But to be fair, she was engaged to a King. So. Who was more out of character?

“Anyway, I gotta steal Bubbles away, so, toodles,” Harry said, looping his arm with Zale’s and pulling the Prince away. “Why was Ben lookin’ as stiff as a board?

“I don’t know, he asked if I was feeling better, so I guess Fairy Godmother told him I had been sick,” Zale said, letting Harry lead. “Also, Audrey texted me this morning. You told her?”

“Okay okay, to be fair…..Celia, Audrey, and Uma had me cornered. Bubbles ya should be amazed I lasted as long as I did, plus, ya know, I put up a fight,” Harry said. 

“It’s Audrey and Uma, so I don’t mind, Celia though…”

“I threatened her, it’s all peachy Bubbles, no worries,” Harry said with a smirk.

“This is why you’re still in remedial goodness!” Zale exclaimed, shaking his head. “My mother grilled me with questions last night. ‘Where were you?’ ‘Why did you run out?’ ‘What happened with Harry?’ she wouldn’t stop so I pretended to go mute.”

“Bubbles you did what?”

“Sometimes I ‘pretend’ like I’m too overwhelmed when she asks a lot of questions and I start signing instead. It tends to slow her down, and it’s easier for me to lie through hand gestures than words,” Zale explained and this time Harry shook his head at him. “What? I could’ve told her and she would’ve told my Grandfather, who will be coming, by the way. Do you really want to be introduced as my boyfriend the first time you meet him?”

“Oooo, boyfriend? We ain’t even been on a date yet, Bubbles,” Harry said, ignoring everything else about his grandfather to focus in on that. 

“You know that’s what my mother would call you,” Zale mumbled, trying to pull away from Harry, but Harry was stronger, so his arm stayed locked with Harry’s.

Damn his strong arms. 

His really, really attractive, strong arms. 

“Fine by me, after one date, you’ll be head over heels. No one can resist me,” Harry teased and Zale didn’t know what to say to that because he felt pretty head over heels for Harry already and they hadn’t even gone on an official date yet. 

“Sure sure,” Zale said, realizing he needed to say something. “You sound so confident in yourself.”

“That’s ‘cuz I am, a pirate always gets the treasure he wants,” Harry said and Zale raised his brows. 

“What treasure is that?” Zale questioned.

“Yer heart,” Harry said with a wink and Zale felt like his brain was shutting down. Harry was too good at being a flirt and Zale was not equipped to deal with it now that he knew Harry was serious. “Bubbles, you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m fine, just, people are going to find out if you keep flirting with me,” Zale mumbled, using his free hand to brush his bangs out of his face. 

“Apparently people already assume we’re datin’,” Harry said, thinking back to what Celia said last night. 

“I guess it won’t be too weird when we actually...make it public? Are we going to do that?” Zale asked, looking to Harry. “I guess we kind of have to, not like the press will leave me alone.”

“We ain’t gotta do anythin’ we don’t want to, Bubbles, but like I’ve told ya before, I don’t care what the press says ‘bout me, so if ya wanna make it public, do it,” Harry said as they approached their next class.

“I kind of want to keep it more private, if that’s okay? Just for a little,” Zale said more quietly. “I know it won’t last, but it’ll be nice to just keep it between us and a few others.”

“Fine by me, Bubbles.”

\--

“What are you wearing tonight?” Audrey questioned, appearing by Harry’s side at lunch. He jumped, almost spilling his drink, and glared at her. 

“Can ya not do that?” He asked as she took a seat next to him. She rolled her eyes and flicked her hair behind her shoulder. 

“What are you wearing tonight? It’s a big deal! You’re meeting King Triton!” She continued and Uma made a face.

“Good luck with that one, Harry,” Uma said and bit into her burger. 

“Yeah, he’s so scary. I’ve met him only once!” Audrey said and Harry groaned. He was trying not to worry about it, why were they trying to stress him out? “I can’t believe you agreed to go to dinner with all of them!” 

“It made Bubbles happy,” Harry said and Uma fake gagged while Audrey swooned. “It’s not like I’m bein’ introduced as his boyfriend or nothin’, just a friend.” 

“Still the son of Captain Hook, still best friend’s with Ursula’s daughter,” Audrey said, reaching over and snagging a fry off of Harry’s tray. “Triton is very protective of his family, especially his grandchildren.” 

“It’s not like I’m goin’ steal Zale’s voice, so he shouldn’t worry. No evil schemes here, anymore,” Uma said and Harry nodded his head. “And, really, if he wants to be mad at anyone, he should be mad at Mal and Ben for just deciding to let some villains back into Auradon.”

Audrey looked around, making sure no one was around, before leaning in close to Harry and Uma. “Okay, you can’t tell ANYONE this,” she started and then waited for Harry and Uma to nod their heads. “ The last round table meeting, you know the one Zale had to attend, well, a lot of the rulers agreed with his point that doing it without consent of the other kingdoms was a dangerous and selfish act, so there is quite the rift growing.”

“Really?” Uma questioned.

“Oh yes, the other kingdoms forced Fairy Godmother, who really wasn’t forced since she agreed, to put the barrier back over the Isle. It only looks like the barrier is down, but it isn’t. They had a smaller meeting between that meeting and now, and King Triton threatened to succeed from Auradon, and we do a lot of trading with Atlantica, and they help keep the oceans free of any pirates or any other thieves.”

“Bubbles ain’t told me any of this,” Harry said, wondering why. 

“He might not know, or he might have found out last night. I’m only telling you two because this could involve your parents,” Audrey said, keeping her voice low. “There’s a rumor that more villains got out. The still bad ones.”

“Like who?” Uma questioned and Audrey shrugged. “Like my mother?”

“No one knows. Ben doesn’t want anyone going to the Isle right now, other than shipments of supplies. Everyone on the council wants to do a headcount. My family is safe since Maleficent is still a lizard, but no one else is. I think that’s really why King Triton is coming to Family Day. He’s worried something might happen, not like it matters,” Audrey said with a sigh.

“Why not? He could blast them,” Harry said, thinking of the triton.

“The triton can only work on creatures of the sea, or in the ocean. So yes, it can work on Ursula, but on other villains? I’m not so sure. That’s what Zale told me, anyway. Jafar could attack, or the Evil Queen, or your mother, or your father,” Audrey said, then stole another one of Harry’s fries.

“Could that be why Ben wants my necklace? He’s worried my mom might get it?” Uma questioned, not so sure. “If my mom is here….it’s not good. She will not be happy with me.” 

“I hope my old man ain’t here,” Harry muttered, not wanting to think about how angry his dad would be with him. He didn’t want to face that wrath again. He didn’t want Zale to have to face that. “What if Bubbles is in danger? Wouldn’t ya ma wanna go after him?”

“He would be a top target,” Uma said, resting her chin on her hand. “I’ll keep my eyes out. That’s all we can do right now.” 

“And I thought tomorrow was goin’ be a fun relaxin’ day,” Harry muttered, frowning as Audrey stole more of his fries. He just pushed his tray towards her, getting a happy hum from her as a thank you. 

He didn’t want to think about what his father would do if he got his hands on Harry again, and he really didn’t want to think about what he would do to Zale. 

“It’ll be fine, we’ll just have to be on our toes a little more,” Uma said as Harry caught sight of Zale at another table with Jane, Lonnie, and Carlos. He looked so happy. Harry didn’t want anything ruining that. 

“Yeah, we’ll keep our eyes out.”

\--

“Ahoy, Lonnie,” Harry said, greeting the girl at her locker. Jay was there with Gil, both seeming to be waiting for the girl to finish.

“Hey hey Harry!” She greeted, flashing a smile at him. She had always been one of the more friendlier students, even in their friend group. Most of their discussions were through text messages, both on the mission to find the ugliest fish pictures possible and spam the mermaid group chat with them, and her begging him to join her sports club. “What can I help you with?” 

“I’m late to yer offer, but I wanna join ya lil’ sword club,” he said and her eyes lit up. She slammed her locker shut and turned towards him excitedly. 

“Really?! This is awesome!! It only took me a few months to wear you down!! I can’t believe you really want to join Swords and Shields! What finally made you cave?” She asked and he shrugged. 

It had been a while since he had held a sword and he didn’t want to be rusty. If his dad or ursula were somehow free, he needed to be prepared for it. He wouldn’t be much use to Uma or Zale if he couldn’t defend them or even defend himself in a fight. 

“Fairy Godmother been wantin’ me to join a club,” he lied, though she didn’t seem to notice as she reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from Jay and Gil. “Oi oi! Where ya takin’ me?!”

“I want to get you set up with your locker and equipment! Don’t worry, you’ll have time to get ready for your dinner with Zale’s family tonight!” Lonnie cheered as Jay and Gil followed, both amused at this.

“Oh, you meeting the family tonight? Getting serious, is it?” Jay questioned, teasing Harry. Harry turned back to look at him and Jay continued to laugh. “Hey don’t get upset! I’m just surprised is all, you jumping into a relationship, and one with a Prince at that.” 

“We ain’t datin’,” Harry said, though Jay shot him a look that made Harry think that Jay didn’t believe him. How rude. 

“Aw but you’re so nice to him,” Gil said and Harry just groaned. He loved Gil, he was one of his best friends, but sometimes Harry just wanted to knock him out. “You’ve never been that nice to anyone, not even Uma, and you talk about him a lot.”

“I do not!” Harry exclaimed, glaring at Gil. “And I’m plenty nice to everyone. I gave the pink princess my fries at lunch.” 

“Yeah but ya give Zale presents and always go to the Enchanted Lake with him,” Gil continued.

“Enchanted Lake? Isn’t that the place you go when you’re on a date?” Jay questioned and Harry just glared at both of them. “Hey, don’t get mad at us for just pointing out the obvious.” 

“It is pretty obvious,” Lonnie joined in, still dragging him with her. “It’s so cute and romantic!”

“Can ya just give me my sword so I can carry on with my day?” Harry questioned once they got to the gym. “I just want a sword.” 

“Swords stay here! You can’t just carry it around with you,” Lonnie said and he frowned at this. He missed carrying a sword around with him. “Okay, so this is where we practice! We practice on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and if we have any tournaments, those happen on the weekends, sometimes during the week, it just depends.”

“Do I have to wear a dumb uniform?” He asked and with the look she shot him, that meant yes. He hated the blue and yellow uniforms, they were so ugly and bright. 

“The uniforms are sleeveless, don’t worry. Here are the locker rooms, andddddddddddd this one is yours!” She said, finding an empty locker for him. “And we’ll get you some uniforms and put them in here for you, along with your sword. We’re having a mini tournament at Family Day tomorrow, are you interested in joining?” 

“Sure, why not,” Harry said as Jay pulled out his phone, looking to be checking something. 

“Yeah, we can fit him in pretty easily with the brackets,” Jay said, showing Lonnie a chart on his phone. “Let me add you to the group chat for the team.” 

“Thanks,” Harry said when his phone dinged a few times. 

“I’m so happy you finally decided to join us!” Lonnie said, still excited about it. “I have been begging Zale to convince you since you two started hanging out, and now it’s finally happening. With you on the team, we will be unstoppable at tournaments.”

“It’s not like we were horrible before,” Jay said, looking slightly offended.

“No, we weren’t, but Harry’s imitating, which is exactly what we need! And of course, a great swordsman.”

“Oh, don’t get ya knickers in a bunch, Jay, the captain is right, I am quite talented,” Harry said smugly, smirking at Jay.

“Go get ready for your dumb date!” 

\--

“Did Audrey do your hair?” Zale asked that evening after he stopped by Harry’s dorm to get him for dinner. Harry’s hair was slicked back and he looked miserable. “You look handsome, if that makes you feel any better.”

“I didn’t realize it was a fancy dinner, Bubbles,” Harry muttered, now more nervous than ever. He felt confined in his outfit and he wanted to mess with his hair, but he couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry, really sorry,” Zale said apologetically and Harry couldn’t be mad at him and his big green eyes. “I promise it won’t be long! Then maybe afterwards we can hang out?” 

“If I survive,” Harry said as Zale led him out to the front of the dorms, where a car was waiting for them. “He might shoot me down the second he sees me.”

“I won’t let him. I’ll protect you, don’t worry,” Zale said, letting Harry get into the back of the car first, and then he followed. The car drove off and Harry just sighed and looked out the window, thinking about what Audrey told him and Uma at lunch. 

He really did not want to see his father again and he never wanted his father to meet Zale. 

“We’re here,” Zale said softly, one hand on Harry’s knee, breaking him from his train of thought. Harry sighed again and put on a fake smile for Zale, who shot him a sweet smile in return as the driver got out of the car to open Zale’s door. “I’ll be with you, don’t worry,” Zale held Harry’s hand for a second and squeezed it, letting go when the driver opened the door for them.

“There they are! Now daddy, please be nice,” Harry could hear Ariel from outside the vehicle and as Harry slid out, Zale was pulled into a hug by a much older man who Harry recognized as King Triton, but in a suit and with legs. 

“I am so happy that you came!” Ariel exclaimed and pulled Harry into a hug and Harry instantly relaxed. He had no clue how Ariel could make him feel so safe in a hug that only lasted a few seconds, but she managed it. It was like Zale’s hand squeeze in the car. 

Maybe it was just that Harry didn’t grow up with those types of affections, and deep down, he craved them and that’s why they relaxed him so much? 

He had his dad to thank for that one. 

“Nice to see you again for longer than a minute,” Eric said once Ariel let Harry go. 

“You must be Harry,” King Triton said once he turned his full attention to Harry. Ariel gave Harry a reassuring smile so Harry reached his hand out and shook hands with him. 

“Yes, sir,” Harry said, now knowing how Zale felt when he was at a loss for words. 

“Perfect, introductions are done! Let’s head inside,” Zale said, pushing his family inside of the restaurant before returning to Harry’s side. “You’re so brave.”

“Don’t pity me, Bubbles,” Harry muttered and Zale just smiled at him as they were led to their tables. Harry felt like dying as King Triton sat across from him. 

“So I hear you and Zale are close friends,” King Triton started up again and Harry realized he looked almost as uncomfortable as Harry, which shouldn’t surprise Harry. He was used to being under water, not on land in a fancy restaurant. “How did you two meet?” 

“Uh,” Harry said, looking to Zale for help. “I rolled down a hill and knocked myself out, and Zale saved me from drowning.”

“I was practicing laps in the Enchanted Lake, and Harry slipped and fell down one of the hills around the lake,” Zale further explained, giving the story more detail. 

“You almost drowned?!” Ariel exclaimed, eyes wide as she stared at Harry. “That’s how you two met? That’s like how we met!” She turned to Eric as the waiter came by to take their drink orders. King Triton looked less than amused at that comparrassion and Harry just looked at Zale for more help.

“Yup, except, no fins, or shipwrecks, or singing to him on a beach. Just me, struggling to get him onto a rock and then waiting for him to wake up,” Zale added after telling the waiter his drink order. He glanced at Harry and held back a smile. 

“Are you in any clubs?” King Triton continued after he gave the waiter his drink order. 

“Actually, I just joined a club today,” Harry said, catching Zale’s attention.

“Really? You hate club activities though,” Zale said. “Or did Lonnie finally break you down?”

“Yeah, I joined that little sword club of her’s, asked her if I could join today and she was very excited,” Harry replied, feeling hopeful about it. “I like swords, I like sword fighting, and Lonnie is one of the best, ‘sides me, of course.”

“How fun! Will they be doing anything tomorrow at Family Day?” Ariel asked, looking very interested. “Clubs are so fun! I’m glad you found one that you were interested in!”

“Lonnie said there was a mini tournament, so I guess that’s what we’re doin’,” Harry answered and he was starting to feel less anxious. He wasn’t sure if it was because he overreacted and thought he would be grilled, or if it was because everyone seemed so attentive, and they actually cared about what he had to say. It was the opposite of his family dynamic and felt foreign to him. 

“I’ll have to watch before my turn at the dunk booth, I hope they don’t happen at the same time,” Zale said, wondering why Harry finally gave in to Lonnie’s begging. “I wonder if I can get dunked once and then be done.” 

“A dunk booth?” Eric questioned and took a sip of his water. 

“Yeah, it was that or a pie throwing game, and I really don’t need to experience chad hitting me in the face with a pie pan filled with whipped cream,” Zale said, looking down at his lap. “Chad has really good aim, as much as I hate to compliment him. Maybe he’ll be too busy with the sword tournament to come dunk me.”

“And you have to participate in this….dunk tank?” King Triton questioned. “What is a dunk tank?”

“It’s this carnival thing. I sit on a board above a tank of water, and people throw baseballs at this target and if they hit, I get dropped into the water,” Zale explained as the waiter brought a basket of bread for them. Harry really wanted a piece, but he didn’t want to be the first to reach for it. Luckily, Eric reached for a piece and then moved the basket towards Harry, silently encouraging him to grab a piece.

He was so hungry. Why did he let Audrey eat his fries at lunch?

“Is that safe?” King Triton asked, still not sure of it. 

“Fairy Godmother approved of it, and it’s just water from the hose, so I don’t think it’s going to be gross,” Zale said and grabbed a piece of bread. “I know how to swim, obviously, so I won’t drown or anything. I hope I can watch you in the tournament. I’ve never gotten to see your sword skills.”

“Oh yeah, you haven’t,” Harry said, realizing that. Only the VK’s and a handful of others had seen it. “Not to brag, but my skill is very impressive.”

“We’ll have to make sure we can watch as well then,” Ariel said happily, smiling at him. “I will be cheering for you!” 

“Thank you,” Harry said and bit into his bread. He didn’t know how to react to that so he just munched on his bread. He didn’t know if he would ever get used to Ariel’s unwavering support she gave to Harry whenever they spoke. 

\--

After the food came, dinner flew by without any issues, and for that Harry was thankful. Ariel and Zale were deflecting anything that might start an argument or cause tension and Harry noticed the way Zale’s shoulders sagged when they stood to leave. He must be exhausted. 

“Is it okay if I run to the loo?” Harry questioned and Zale nodded his head.

“Of course, we’ll be outside,” Zale replied and they split up as Harry headed to the back of the restaurant quickly. When he returned outside, he heard murmuring so he kept behind a column, wanting to know what was going on.

“He’s a sweet boy, daddy,” Ariel said, sounding frustrated. “I don’t think he plans to cause any harm to Zale, or to us.” 

“He won’t! Harry’s my best friend,” Zale said and Harry smiled at that. They were defending him. 

“I for one think he’s good for Zale. He’s become so much more outgoing since he’s met Harry, this is good for him,” Ariel said and Harry could picture Zale’s eye roll and averted eyes. “I know there’s worry of loose villains, but I feel better knowing that Harry is with Zale. He’ll protect him. He protected him when that paparazzi broke into Zale’s room.”

“But will he protect him if his own father shows up or worse, Usarula?” King Triton asked, sounding worried. “I’m going to worry, he’s my only grandson.”

“I’m the only boy?” Zale asked, sounding exhausted. “That doesn’t matter. I promise, I’m safe at school with Harry and all of my other friends. Harry’s one of the reasons Audrey was saved. Trust me, I am safe with Harry! If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be so comfortable around him.” 

Harry could hear King Triton sigh, but he sounded like he was giving in, so Harry pretended like he just exited the restaurant and stepped into view. “Ahoy, there you are.”

“Hey, what took you so long? Get lost?” Zale asked as their ride pulled up. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Zale said, hugging his parents and grandfather before getting into the car. Harry was pulled into another hug by Ariel before he hurried to get into the car, the door shut behind him. 

“Bubbles…” Harry started, not knowing what to say. He wanted to talk about the conversation he just overheard, but he didn’t want the driver to hear them. “I’m exhausted.”

“Me too,” Zale said and leaned his head back on the seat, sighing deeply. 

“Want to hang out still?

“Of course,” Zale replied immediately, smiling at Harry through the darkness of the car. They rode in comfortable silence for the rest of the car ride, fingers intertwined.

\----

“We could break into the pool and go swimmin’,” Harry suggested once they were out of the car and standing at the entrance to the dorms

“You are so mischievous,” Zale said, turning to smile at Harry. “You know how I feel about chlorine.” 

“Yeah yeah, I know how much ya hate it,” Harry said, thinking hard. “Oi, bet they set up everything for Family Day already, want to go check it out?” 

“An evening stroll is pretty tame, but I’ll take it,” Zale said and they headed towards the main courtyard. Harry ran his fingers through his hair, breaking through all the gel and hairspray Audrey had used on him. “Feel better?

“Much,” Harry said once his hair was freed. 

“So, why did you finally decide to join the Swords and Shields club?” Zale asked, glancing at Harry. “It seems random to join now after you’ve turned it down so many times.”

“Uh, well,” Harry didn’t see anyone around them, so it seemed safe to talk about it now. “Audrey told us about the possible….loose villains. I’m worried that my dad or Uma’s mum might be one of them, and I don’t want to be rusty on my skills in case I have to fight.” 

“She told you?” Zale questioned before sighing. “I was going to tell you but I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Better I know now and can prepare myself, Bubbles. What if I’m all rusty with a sword and my dad tries to attack you?” Harry questioned. “Or Ursula? Your mum is expectin’ me to protect ya, and I ain’t much good if I’m not ready.”

“You overheard all that, huh?” Zale questioned, looking embarrassed. “You don’t have to be my protector or my guard, Harry, I was just trying to reassure my grandfather that you could be trusted.”

“I am goin’ protect ya, Bubbles, whether ya want me to or not,” Harry said firmly, looking at Zale who was looking down at the ground. “I want to keep ya safe, Zale.” 

“I’m sorry you even have to do that,” Zale mumbled, still looking at the ground. “I don’t like that I’m such a target. I wish we knew for sure if any villains escaped….what if your father escaped and he’s angry at you for leaving the Isle? What if he tries to hurt you?”

“That’s why I joined the club, don’t worry, Bubbles. My old man ain’t that scary,” Harry said and Zale looked at him after this. 

“It’s okay to be scared, Harry, I know he wasn’t kind to you,” Zale said softly, taking Harry’s hand. “I promise I’ll protect you too.” 

“Thanks, Bubbles,” Harry said quietly, letting Zale hold his hand tightly. Harry didn’t like to tell anyone that deep down, he was terrified of his father. Almost every VK was scared of their parents, even Uma, and for good reason. 

“Of course, Harry. He’s not going to hurt you with me around,” Zale said, keeping their hands locked together as they continued to walk. They made it out to the grounds where a majority of the festivities would be and it was dimly lit, with many of the stalls covered with tarps or sheets. 

“This looks like it might be fun,” Harry said, taking everything in. 

“I think it will be,” Zale said, smiling at Harry. “I’m excited to watch you sword fight tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t have to be a the dumb dunk tank when it’s your turn.”

“You better not be, I gotta show off my skills,” Harry smirked, feeling better the longer Zale held his hand. “I show off my sword skills tomorrow, you show off your singin’ skills on Monday, how about that?”

“Still not letting up on the singing?” Zale asked and Harry shook his head. “You are so stubborn.”

“Got a deal, Bubbles?” Harry asked and Zale sighed and nodded his head. “Perfect, I can’t wait to hear it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so happy you guys are cool with Audrey and uma because I tend to write three chapters ahead so I always have a chapter to post and I was already writing them like they were going to be a couple so ! Lol
> 
> Thank you again for all the feedback, sorry if this chapter seemed a little boring, I had to do some setting up for some drama that will happen in later chapters and continue to happen!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off I wanna say a big big thank you to all the feedback!! And also!
> 
> HUGE THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND SHELBY FOR SOME SUPER CUTE ARTWORK THAT IS FEATURED BELOW (hopefully if AO3 works it will be there, also sorry its so compressed) If you like this art, please check out my friend's pages! She has a lot of great art!
> 
> Instagram: Beansprout_Doddles  
Twitter: Shellz_sprouts  
Redubble: Beandoodz
> 
> Also everyone is like "ooo climax something is going to happen" and I'm over here like "oh honey..you got an even bigger storm comin'."

* * *

“Chad really wants to go against you,” Lonnie said to Harry the next morning, both outside in the courtyard as Jay and Carlos set up the mat they would be fighting on. She held a clipboard in her hand with the brackets drawn out and Harry stood beside her, trying not to yawn. “But that means that Zale won’t be able to watch your match, which will really bum him out.”

“Forget what Chad wants, Bubbles has gotta see me show off,” Harry said, frowning. “Though Chad would be easy to beat. Why does he wanna go ‘gainst me?” 

“Some of the cheerleaders found out yesterday that you were going to be joining the team and they kept talking about how cute you are and Chad got jealous,” Jay said, dusting off his pants as Carlos rolled his eyes. 

“That’s it? Oi, mate, what does he thinks is goin’ happen when I beat him in less than a minute?” Harry questioned and they both shrugged at him. “So how can we make it where Bubbles can watch me?” 

“Harry, I am an excellent wingman, I will do my best,” Lonnie said, going through the brackets again. “Because if I don’t, Zale will come complain to me that he didn’t get to watch, especially since you're sleeveless. He is obsessed with your arms.”

“Really?” Harry questioned, he would have to bring that up to Zale later. 

“When are you two going to date so I can stop hearing about how much you two should date when I hang out with Jane?” Carlos questioned, already looking exhausted.

“Bit longer I’m afraid,” Harry said with a smirk and twirled his hook around one of his fingers before hooking it onto one of his belt loops. 

“Harry!” Uma called out and Harry turned, seeing her looking irritated and in an outfit Audrey most definitely picked for her. It was very gold and very glittery.

“Ya look so cute!” He said and she just glared at him as she approached them. He could see Audrey in the distance with her family, pointing out all the different booths that were being set up. “Oo, feisty today!”

“When did you join a club?” Uma questioned, looking at the uniform on him. “That is the ugliest uniform.”

“I know,” he replied, wishing he didn’t have to wear it. “But, it’s sleeveless, which is apparently very important.” 

“It is!” Lonnie said, not looking up from her clipboard. “And you can change after your matches are done!” 

“Anyway, I joined yesterday, thought it’d be good,” he told Uma. “I missed stabbin’ things.” 

“No stabbing!” Carlos said, looking horrified at that. 

“Ehh, so why are you all dolled up?” Harry asked, brushing off what Carlos said. “You got stuck meetin’ the family too?”

“No the same family you met, but yes, a royal family,” Uma said, nodded towards Audrey and her family. “Aren’t you meeting them again today? I’m surprised you went casual and didn’t have Audrey do your hair.” 

“I forgot,” Harry said, wondering if it would be worth it to run to the bathroom and try to take off his eye makeup and toss the hook back into his room. He decided against it, besides, Zale liked his makeup.

“Good morning!” Audrey exclaimed as she approached the group, her parents and grandmother a little ways behind her. “Oh wow, you really joined the club. I thought Chad was just kidding.”

“Why is it so hard to believe I joined a club? I love…..team work,” Harry said and everyone stared at him. “Shut up you lot.” 

“Harry!!” They all turned and saw Ariel hurrying towards them with a big smile on her face.

“Who is that?” Uma questioned and Jay shrugged at her. 

“That’s Zale’s mom, Queen Ariel,” Lonnie said and Uma shifted away from Harry and closer to Audrey as the woman hurried up to their group and hugged Harry.

“I know I just saw you last night, but it’s so wonderful to see you again! This is my first family day and I am a little too excited, well, that’s what Zale claimed!” She said as she hugged Harry. “You look so cute in your uniform!” She said as she pulled away, looking at him. Everyone stared at her as she smiled at Harry and patted his cheeks. “I love the eye make up! It really makes your eyes pop!” 

“What…” Jay mumbled, confused at how much Ariel dotted on Harry. Did she not know who he was?

“Audrey, hello!” She moved to hug the other girl. “And Lonnie! It’s been so long!” 

“Hello ma’am!” Lonnie said and was also engulfed in a hug, though she seemed to love it and hugged her back tightly.

“Oh my goodness, I forgot to introduce myself, I saw Harry and got too excited! I’m Queen Ariel!” She said to Carlos, Jay and Uma. 

“I’m Carlos, and that’s Jay, your highness…...majesty...ma’am,” Carlos said, unsure of how to address her and still in shock at the sheer friendliness that came from her. She shook both of their hands with a wide smile, surprising the two.

“You can just say ma’am,” Audrey said, amused at the whole situation. “This is Uma, she’s hanging out with me and my family today,” Audrey said and Uma stood there awkwardly as Ariel looked at her. 

“Uma? Your Uma, right?” Ariel said, looking to Harry, who nodded his head before Ariel turned back to look at Uma. “It’s lovely to meet you! My husband is around here somewhere, probably with my father. I don’t know where Zale went though?” She shook Uma’s hand too before letting go to smile at Harry again. 

“You ran off without me!” They heard Zale shout as he approached them. “I was with the coach and I said ‘Harry is probably already out there by the tournament area’ and you took off.” 

“It’s her first family day, let her be excited Bubbles,” Harry said which made Ariel smile.

“Harry is right, he’s so sweet! And doesn’t he look handsome in his uniform!” Ariel said to Zale who let out a large sigh as he looked away, embarrassed. 

“I have select mutism, not select blindness,” Zale muttered, fully embarrassed. “Cinderella was looking for you back by the cotton candy stand.”

“Oh! I forgot I was supposed to be meeting up with her! I will see you all later!” She ruffled Zale’s hair and hurried off. He sighed and made an attempt to fix his hair, giving up when Audrey came over to take over. 

“That’s your mother?” Uma questioned, looking at Zale. “But….”

“Trust me, I know,” Zale said, still embarrassed. “We only look alike, I definitely take after my father more.” 

“She was so nice,” Carlos said. “Why does she like you so much?” He asked Harry, who wanted to give a witty reply, but he really didn’t know why Ariel liked him so much, so he shrugged.

“I was surprised she was nice to me,” Uma said, still a little shocked. Ariel was completely genuine, she really thought it was lovely to meet Uma. 

“My mom likes to make friends, she doesn’t like to make people feel uncomfortable,” Zale said to Uma. “Plus, not like you stole her voice, and you helped save Audrey, and she loves Audrey.” 

“She does,” Audrey said, nodding her head.

“Can we talk about how your mom is trying to set you and Harry up?” Jay questioned and Zale turned to shoot Jay a look.

“No we cannot!” 

* * *

“So I heard a rumor,” Harry started as he, Zale, and Uma sat down in front of a small stage. They had a little time before either of their club activities started, so they tagged along with Uma so they could watch Audrey’s choir performance. 

“Oh here we go,” Uma muttered next to Harry, crossing her arms. She didn’t know what Harry was going to say, but it was Harry, so, probably something to embarrass Zale.

“What rumor?” Zale questioned as the performers got ready. 

“That you were obsessed with my arms?” Harry smirked at Zale, whose ears went red. “Ah, so Lonnie was right.”

“She betrayed me,” Zale said, putting a hand to his face, making sure to avoid eye contact with Harry. 

“Is that why you were speechless when I picked you up at your house?”

“They’re about to start, you two can flirt later,” Uma said, shushing them, but Harry kept glancing at Zale, who was trying to focus on the performers, but was obviously going through a bout of inner turmoil. He was so flustered, it was so adorable. Harry wished they could just go on a date right now and not have to wait two days. 

He felt so light, so happy, and he couldn’t remember a time when he felt like this on the Isle. 

“What did you all think?” Audrey asked when the performance was over and she found them in the crowd afterwards. 

“You sounded lovely,” Zale said and she beamed at that, looking so proud. She seemed to bask in the praise and looked to Uma and Harry, an almost desperate look on her face.

“Zale is right, you sounded great,” Uma said and Audrey’s smile managed to get bigger. She looked over the moon about the praise that came from Uma.

“Thank you! Oh, Uma, my fairy god mothers are here and I would love for them to meet you!” Audrey said, taking hold of Uma’s arm. “They’ll be so happy to meet my new friend!! They’re always telling me to branch out more!” 

“If I argue will that stop you?” Uma questioned and Audrey smiled and shook her head. “That’s what I thought.” With that, Audrey was pulling Uma with her, chatting the whole time.

“I’m really glad she and Uma get along. Audrey has been lonely,” Zale said, watching after them.

“She seems pretty popular to me,” Harry said, smiling at how Uma was just pretending to be annoyed. 

“Does she? Because before you and Uma started hanging around us, she only considered me and Chad to be her best friends. Her friendship with the others is recovering but a lot of people still don’t like her, or trust her. I think she really loves being friends with Uma, that’s why she’s showing her off to her family.” Zale explained. 

“Ya really care about her, don’t you?” Harry asked and Zale nodded his head.

“I do, she is one of my closest friends. I feel like Uma really enjoys being her friend as well, she’s just trying to act tough, right?” Zale asked with a smile. 

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Harry said and resisted the urge to put his arm over Zale’s shoulders. There were so many people with cameras around, he didn’t want to risk it. Still, it didn’t stop Zale from walking close to him and their fingers from brushing together. It reminded him of last night and how he and Zale walked around for two hours while Harry told him story after story of all the trouble he and his sisters got into. 

“I know you’ve got a match in an hour, but do you want to check out some of the stalls? I’ll get you some cotton candy.” 

“What is cotton candy?” Harry asked. “I ain’t eatin’ fabric.”

“No no, it’s like...clouds?” Zale questioned himself, not knowing how to explain it as he led Harry over to the stall. “I’ll just show you.” Zale said and Harry followed him closely, constantly resisting the urge to touch Zale. 

It was difficult and Harry hated it. He wished the press hadn’t been allowed at this event so he wouldn’t have held himself back in fear of causing more drama for Zale. Still, even with the press, Harry thoroughly enjoyed himself and ate everything and played every game stall. 

“Uh, Harry,” Zale mumbled, holding three stuffed plushies in his arms. “Haven’t you played enough games? We should probably head back to the tournament area.”

“One more,” Harry said, eyes scanning for a game he hadn’t played yet. He might have gotten a little carried away with playing, but he wanted to win Zale as many prizes as he could. 

“If you’re late to your match, that’s on you,” Zale said, shifting the plushies so his arms would stop hurting. Part of him regretted telling Harry how much he loved whale sharks when they passed by a game booth that had the plush as a prize, but part of him didn’t, because it was endearing to see Harry win it for him. Then Harry won him a dolphin plush, then a sea turtle plush. 

“Ya just are gettin’ embarrassed with all the stuff I keep winnin’ ya,” Harry said and Zale didn’t say anything but look off to the side and hold his plushies tighter in his arms. “See, ya secretly are enjoyin’ it!”

“Oh hush,” Zale said as Harry continued to look for a game. Harry paused in front of a test your strength game and grinned. “Oh, this was made for you.”

“And I’m goin’ crush it,” Harry said, stepping up to play in. The student running it handed Harry the mallet and took a few steps back. Harry leaned back and swung hard, smashing the mallet onto the target and the bell rang loudly, causing the crowd around them to turn and see what the commotion was about. “See?” He said, turning back to look at Zale, who was just staring at him. “What prize do ya want?”

“Uh..” Zale said, brain short circuiting. How was Harry able to do that so easily with hardly any effort? 

“Gimmie the shark stuffed animal thing,” Harry said, pointing it out to the student, who handed it over to him quickly.

“Another for me?” Zale questioned when Harry offered it to him. “Why don’t you win something for yourself?”

“Because, ya get all flustered,” Harry said as they moved away from the game and began heading back to the tournament area. “Ya look so surprised too. I like it.”

“Well now I feel bad,” Zale said, holding onto all four stuffed animals. “I just stood there watching you beat all those games and win me stuff, and I haven’t won you anything at all.”

“But I had fun,” Harry said, smiling at Zale. “Bubbles, I ain’t think ya realized that I enjoyed winnin’ that stuff for ya. I got to show off how good at those games I am, and get ya stuff, and it made you happy. It’s a win win win for me then.”

“Well….thanks. Next round of games, I’ll try to win you something, like one of those plastic swords,” Zale said and then thought about it for a moment. “Actually no, you would just fight everyone with it. Maybe just a stuffed animal.”

“You know me so well, Bubbles,” Harry said as they approached the tournament area.

“There you are!” Lonnie exclaimed, hurrying over and grabbing Harry by the arm. “We were about to start without you! Come on!” She pulled him off and Zale saw Audrey and Uma sitting together, so he walked over to them and took a seat behind them.

“Oh my gosh,” Audrey said when she turned and saw the stuffed animals. 

“Did Harry win all of those for you?” Uma asked, looking at them all. “Typical Harry. He always has to show off in front of the person he likes. I bet he’s incredibly proud of himself right now.”

“You’re so spoiled, I’m jealous,” Audrey pouted, looking at the animals. “Obviously I’m happy for you! I want stuffed animals though…..do you think Harry would win me one?”

“Psh, I could win you one, easy,” Uma said and Zale could sense an underlying tone of jealousy. 

Interesting.

“Really?” Audrey asked, looking to Uma excitedly. “There’s this cute pink unicorn plushie I want, but, I’m not good at throwing darts. I throw too hard.”

“You throw too hard?” Uma asked, confused. “What did Audrey mean by that?” Uma asked Zale, looking at him. 

“They get stuck in the cork, to the point where it would take someone like Gil or Jay to pull it loose,” Zale answered and Uma just stared at him. “She has a lot of pent up aggression.” 

“Leave the dart throwing to me. After Harry’s match, I’ll get you the unicorn,” Uma said. 

“Thank you! As thanks, I can teach you how to ride a horse! It would be so so fun to go riding through Sherwood Forest again.”

“Uh, no thanks,” Uma said, shaking her head. 

“I’m an excellent teacher, don’t worry!” Audrey said, not taking no for an answer. “We’ll just go really slow, or we could share a horse. That’s what we did when I taught Zale how to ride. Oh! You, me, Zale, and Harry can go next weekend! We can even have a picnic! Oh that sounds so lovely, doesn’t it Zale?” 

“It does, actually,” Zale said and Uma paled. “Are you afraid of horses, Uma?” Zale asked, not meaning to offend her, but, it was important to know that before they put her on one. 

“I’m not scared of anything,” Uma said, crossing her arms and looking forward to watch the team go through their stretches before they started. 

“It’s okay if you are. You’ve probably never seen one up close, and they are kind of big and scary,” Audrey said to Uma, still smiling. “Maybe I can teach you how to ride a horse and you can teach me to throw darts or sail a ship. Sailing a ship can’t be that hard, right?” She looked between Uma and Zale with raised brows.

“I haven’t even been out on the ocean, I have no say in the easiness of sailing a ship,” Zale said, moving the stuffed animals from his lap to the empty chair beside him. “I could ask my dad whenever he gets here about that.” 

“Maybe a small ship? Like a rowboat?” Audrey said and Uma shot her a look. “I know it doesn’t have sails but it’s a bit more manageable.” 

“There they are!” Ariel said, catching their attention as she made her way over to their group. Zale saw Uma stiffen when his grandfather and father followed after her and took seats behind Zale. “Where did you get all of those stuffed animals from?”

“Uh, Harry won them for me…” Zale said and Ariel’s face lit up. “Anyway! Dad, how hard is it to learn how to sail a boat? Audrey was asking.”

“Well it really depends on the size of the ship, the skill level of your crew,” Eric started up and Uma saw Ariel sigh. “Why do you want to learn how to sail a ship, Audrey?”

“I want to teach Uma how to ride a horse, so I thought her teaching me how to sail would be an equal trade,” Audrey explained and Eric nodded his head.

“I think it could be easy, you pick up on things fast. I suggest a sailboat in a lake. It’s safer since you aren’t out at sea, the waters are a little more predictable, the boats are smaller and more manageable, plus your parents would never agree to you learning how to sail a large ship out on the ocean,” Eric said and Uma was a little taken aback. She forgot that Eric was actually a sailor, not just a king. “I’m King Eric, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, Uma.” 

“Hello,” she said and avoided eye contact completely with King Triton. “Oh, they’re starting,” she said, turning back around as the team lined up, all with their masks on.

“Well how am I supposed to cheer for Harry if I can’t tell which one he is?” Ariel asked and Zale scanned over each team member, trying to figure out which one was Harry. 

It actually wasn’t difficult because Harry had a very specific walk that was easy to spot, but he was not going to tell anyone that because he did not need to be teased anymore than he already had been. He could only imagine how his mother would react when he told her he and Harry were dating. She would be over the moon. 

“Match one,” Lonnie called out from the side, and it began. Zale couldn’t tell exactly who Harry was up against. He didn’t know everyone on the different sports teams, he barely knew everyone on his own swim team. 

Regardless, Harry was an incredible swordsman, not that Zale had any doubts. He had heard from Lonnie all about her journey to the Isle and her fight with the pirates, and she had gone on and on about Harry’s skill level, so Zale knew he was good. 

He just hadn’t realized he was that good. 

Harry didn’t even seem like he was trying, it seemed like he was just playing around with his opponent, who did not stand a chance against him. Normally Zale didn’t care much for watching sword fights, but he was thoroughly entertained when the match ended and Harry was the winner.

“Impressive,” he heard his grandfather say behind him and Zale felt proud, which was dumb because he had nothing to do with Harry winning, but still, Harry was almost kind of his boyfriend and he was his best friend so he was proud!

“Was that Harry?” His mother whispered loudly, though she was trying to be quiet.

“Yeah,” Zale replied and she looked proud as well and his grandfather still looked impressed which was great.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it as the next match started, Zale guessed it was Jay against Carlos. His phone continued to buzz so he gave in and answered it.

“Hello?” He whispered, not wanting to disturb the match. 

“Zale! We need you at the dunk tank. Scott had to swap shifts, so get over here,” his coach said and Zale groaned.

“B-but I’m watching Harry’s match,” Zale replied as Jay won the match. Jane clapped loudly for Carlos anyway, which was very endearing. 

“Sorry kid, get over here,” With that, his coach was gone and Zale hung his head. He wanted to keep watching! He sighed as he stood, and held his cellphone out to Audrey, who shot him a confused look.

“I have to go to the dunk booth, could you hold my phone for me?” Zale asked and she took it, nodding her head. He was already in swim trunks, so at least he didn’t have to go change. “Thanks, hopefully I’ll be back soon.”

“Do you want us to come?” Ariel asked and Zale shook his head.

“This is way more entertaining than me being dunked in water,” Zale looked at his stuffed plushies, wondering what he was supposed to do with them. 

“We’ll handle them, go have fun being dunked on,” his dad said and gathered up the plushies for him. Zale hurried off, unzipping his jacket as he approached the dunk tank.

“There you are! Let’s get you up there,” his coach said and Zale tossed his jacket onto the tarp by the dunk tank and slipped off his shoes, wanting to get this over with. He climbed up into it and his feet dangled above the water. 

“So, how long do I have to do this for?” Zale asked, looking out at the people in line. He saw Evie and Doug, along with Celia and Dizzy. Mal and Ben were a little ways off, looking to just be watching. 

“Probably for half an hour,” the coach replied and he sighed. 

“I’ll miss the tournament,” Zale complained as Doug stepped up to the small table where the softballs were. The first two throws were misses and Doug looked discouraged, but Evie gave him a shoulder pat and he revved up and missed again. 

“It’s okay!” Evie exclaimed, trying to cheer him up as the male sighed.

“It was a good attempt, Doug!” Zale called to him, feeling bad for him too as he retrieved the balls and put them back on the table. Zale heard cheers to his right and looked towards the tournament area, pouting. He wished he knew what was going on over there. What if Harry won the whole thing and he wasn’t there to cheer him on? 

“You’re about to be dunked!” Celia cheered as Dizzy grabbed a ball. “You can do this Dizzy!!” 

“Good luck Dizzy!” Evie cheered from the sidelines and Zale wanted to know what was so appealing about dunking him? Dizzy stuck her tongue out and threw the ball and as it hit the target, Zale felt his seat pull out from underneath him and he fell into the water. 

He opened his eyes underwater and looked out the plastic window that was part of the tank and saw everyone staring with wide eyes, some looked horrified, others looked shocked. He saw his reflection in the tank and froze before slowly looking down, seeing fins instead of legs.

“Salt water!?” Zale exclaimed and that’s when the flashing began and people crowded the tank with their cameras and phones out. He saw Evie make an attempt to push people away and block the window, but there wasn’t much she could do. 

Zale pushed up out of the water and realized he had no place to go. He could try to pull himself up the ladder, but then what would he do? Flop onto the ground? 

Above water the crowd was so loud with screams and yelling and Zale covered his ears and dove back down into the water, pressing against the back of his tank as he heard his coach yelling and trying to shoo people away but they were still there, watching him, recording him, taking pictures of him like he was some animal in an exhibit. 

He could feel this rising energy inside of him, just like he had at the press conference. 

“Evie, hold on!” He called out to her, catching her attention again. All he wanted was for people to back up, to leave him alone, so he unleashed the energy and hurled a gust of wind that pushed everyone back. Evie held onto the chain fence on the dunk tank and looked down at Zale, eyes wide, then back to the crowds. Some were still unfazed, a majority being photographers and news outlets that were still filming. 

The wind wasn’t enough and Zale still felt confined, felt scared, so he pelted them with rain, with hail, with lightning and thunder so they would run for cover, so their cameras would be destroyed. He squeezed his eyes shut and covered his face with his arms, he didn’t want to be seen anymore, he wanted to go hide under his covers on his bed and never come out. He wanted Harry to come get him and scare everyone else away. 

* * *

Harry frowned as he got back on the mat and realized Zale wasn’t there. “Where’s Bubbles?” He asked Uma before Lonnie started the match, lifting his face visor up so Uma could hear him better. 

“He had to go to the dunk tank, he was really upset about it,” Uma replied and Harry sighed and put his mask back off, his mood shot. He really loved how happy and proud Zale looked when he won his first match, and Harry wanted to see it again. Chad joined him on the mat after taking his sweet time. 

“Ready…” Lonnie said and was suddenly pushed back by a strong gust of wind as the roar of thunder shook the ground. The hairs on Harry’s neck stood on end. He pulled off his mask and looked to the sky, seeing the dark clouds rolling in unnaturally.

“It wasn’t supposed to rain today,” he heard Carlos tell Jane and Harry dropped his helmet and sword, his gut dropping. 

“It’s Bubbles!” Harry exclaiming, looking to Uma and Audrey who both stood up immediately, both looking as worried as Harry was. From the corner of his eye he saw Ariel’s confused and panicked face. 

“Hey, wait! You are forfeiting if you leave!” Chad shouted as Harry ran past him towards the dunk booth.The wind was so forceful he struggled against it, trying not to be blown over. 

“I would’ve kicked your ass anyway!” Harry called back and kept going as rain pelted his face.

“How is it Zale!!!” Audrey screamed over the rain as she and Uma caught up to Harry, Jane right behind them with Carlos. 

They saw the crowds of people running, all trying to get to shelter as the storm worsened. Harry pushed through them, seeing Zale’s coach and Evie attempting to calm others as she held onto the chain fence to not get blown away. The wind picked up and they both clung to the chain fence as rain poured harder. Harry wiped the rain out of his eyes so he could see better, but it was pointless as it pelted down, stinging his skin when it made contact. 

“Harry! It’s Zale!” Evie shouted when she saw the pirate, struggling to hold on. “We need Fairy GodMother!!!” Harry felt his heart drop and pushed against the winds as fast as he could to get to the tank.

“I-I’ll go get her!” Jane said and took off with Carlos, trying to get through the crowd as fast as she could. 

Harry finally made it to the tank and climbed up the ladder and looked in, seeing Zale curled in on himself, shaking hard. “Bubbles!” Harry called over the storm and Zale looked up at him, eyes glowing white. Harry was startled, but he reached in and grabbed Zale’s arm and yanked him towards the surface. 

“Zale, Zale hey,” Harry said and when Zale looked at him, his eyes were green again. Maybe Harry was just seeing things? Were Zale’s eyes really glowing white?

“Harry?” Zale asked, looking dazed as Harry pulled him out of the water. Uma hurried over and helped him out as Zale held onto him, shaking. 

“I got ya, Zale, don’t worry,” Harry said once his feet touched the ground again. The storm was noticeably weaker, with the winds dying down and the rain softening. 

“There were so many people…..” Zale said, pressing his face against Harry’s neck as Audrey grabbed a sheet from a nearby broken stall and threw it over Zale’s tail to help hide it, though there wasn’t much else they could do.

“It’s okay, Zale,” Harry said as the redhead cried harder. 

“Let’s get him to his room,” Uma said and the three hurried off with Audrey and Uma leading the way through the crowd as Harry attempted to comfort Zale. 

“I’m sorry,” Zale whispered. “I just wanted them to go away.”

“It’s okay, you’re away from that now,” Harry said once they were back in the dorms. They slowed down from running, all four of them were soaked and the water dripped off of them as they carefully walked up the stairs, not wanting to trip.

“What happened?” Uma asked and looked to Zale, who looked to be barely awake. His tail disappeared as they climbed the stairs, turning back into his legs. 

“The tank was filled with salt water..” Zale mumbled, before he closed his eyes.

“It must have taken a lot out of him.” Uma said when she realized Zale had passed out. 

“Oh Bubbles,” Harry mumbled when he looked down at the male. They went to Audrey’s room, since Zale’s was locked, and set him on her bed while Audrey texted Jane about where they were. 

“Did someone do this on purpose?” Audrey asked, grabbing towels out of her bathroom for herself, Uma, and Harry. “Or was it an accident?”

“How could someone accidently put salt water in that tank?” Uma questioned as the door to Audrey’s room opened and Jane hurried in, soaked, with Carlos. 

“My mom is trying to handle…..everything,” Jane explained, looking at everyone. “The press is going crazy, students are terrified, the swim coach is furious! It’s a mess.”

“We ain’t goin’ be able to talk ourselves outta this one,” Harry sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Zale. “His parents are goin’ be furious….”

“Oh!” Audrey exclaimed and pulled Zale’s phone out of her pocket, dialing a number. “He’s okay! He’s with us! In my room!” 

“What do you think will happen?” Jane asked and Harry didn’t want to think about that. There were so many possibilities and none of them sounded good as he thought about them. He would not let them take Zale away from him. That was not happening.

“We’re here!” Ariel said as she rushed into the room. She was soaked, much like everyone else, and Harry moved out of her way as she rushed over to Zale. “Is he okay?! What happened?”

“Bubbles passed out from the stress I think,” Harry replied as Eric hurried into the room and joined his wife. 

Triton entered and shut the door behind him, looking at everyone. “Explain, now. You knew what happened to my grandson, all four of you did,” he said, looking at them before pausing at Carlos. “You look just as confused as everyone else, you can leave,” he opened the door and Carlos looked at Jane before leaving quickly, the door shutting behind him. 

“But ya know!” Harry exclaimed, gesturing to Triton. His adrenaline was still pumping through him and he felt no fear. “Ya know exactly what’s happenin’ to Bubbles! We’re the ones who don’t!”

“Harry…” Jane said, trying to get him to calm down, but there was no calming Harry down once he was on a roll.

“But I’m right!” Harry said, looking to his friends. “All we know is somethin’ happened on that ‘debut’ day or whatever that Fairy GodMother spelled away in her journal. So why do ya want us to tell ya everythin’ when ya already know it? All we can tell ya is when this started and how scared he was to tell ya out of fear of gettin’ banished or havin’ his fins taken away.” 

“You guys will just hear our side and then never tell us yours,” Audrey said, frowning. “I don’t mean any disrespect by this, and I’m sure Harry doesn’t either, but how are we supposed to help Zale when we don’t know what happened? What if this whole thing was a villain’s doing? How can we prepare for anything else if there’s a part of the story we don’t know?”

Chadwick entered the room after Audrey finished, arms carrying the stuff plushies. Fairy Godmother was right behind him, surprised to see the others there. 

“What are all of you doing in here?” She asked. “Except for you, Audrey, this is your room.” 

“We’re findin’ out what’s goin’ on with Zale!” Harry told her, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Fairy GodMother said but Harry was not budging on this one. “Ben and Mal are waiting in my office.”

“Oi, so Beastie and Queenie get to know but we don’t?” Harry asked, looking to the adults. “How am I supposed to protect him if I don’t know what is goin’ on!”

“That’s so unfair!” Audrey exclaimed, balling her hands into fists. “We’re Zale’s best friends! We have been with him through this whole mermaid mess, but Mal and Ben get to know what’s going on, and we don’t? Harry’s the one that pulled him out of the tank for goodness’ sake! Ben and Mal just watched!” 

“It’s a complicated matter,” Fairy Godmother said, trying to calm the two of them down. “I understand the frustration both of you feel, but how you are expressing it is very disrespectful!”

“We ain’t tryin’ to be!” Harry replied, throwing his hands up in the air. “How are we supposed to react when Zale was just exposed to the entirety of Auradon and created another storm with his powers !”

“So this wasn’t the first time?” Ariel questioned, having been surprisingly quiet so far.

“Yeah, ain’t the first time,” Harry mumbled, not wanting to yell at her when she had always been so kind to him. “After a field trip, me mate Gil got Zale this lil’ jar of salt water to remind him of home. Zale opened it and accidentally splashed it on himself and that’s when all of this started happenin’. He zapped the power at that press conference, he did the gust of wind when that guy broke into that room, he did the mini storm when that magazine story got released….” 

“So he’s known for at least two months,” Ariel said to Eric. “And….nothing terrible has happened.” 

“Yet,” Triton said, sighing. “But we don’t know who is lurking out there. Someone had to have known what salt water would do to him.” 

“Maybe he’s mature enough now? He’s so level headed and today’s incident wasn’t….a complete disaster? Do we know if the press knew he created the storm? No one was injured, right? We could work around this,” Eric said and Harry looked back at the others, confused. 

“A majority are reporting an unpredictable thunderstorm,” Chadwick replied, still standing there with the plushies in his arms. “Many of their camera equipment was damaged, so there is not a lot of footage. They are talking about the Prince though.”

“This is such a mess,” Eric sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Let’s handle the press first and make sure Zale is okay, and then we can discuss...telling them,” Ariel said and Eric and Triton both nodded their heads. “Good, daddy can you please carry Zale up to his room? Chadwick’s arms are a bit full.” 

“Of course,” Triton said, moving over to the bed. 

“You four, continue to keep this to yourselves for the time being,” Fairy Godmother said, eying them. 

“We will figure this out,” Ariel told Fairy Godmother as Zale was carried out of the room. Harry looked after him longingly, brows furrowed. “Thank you all for what you did today. Hopefully we can come up with a solution soon,” Ariel told them before leaving Audrey’s room. 

“But-” Harry said, feeling defeated.

“When Zale wakes up, we will decide what to do. Stay on campus, we might call on you,” Fairy Godmother said and then left, shutting the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this!! Once again, big thank you to my friend for the art work, and here are her social media pages again:  
Instagram: Beansprout_Doddles  
Twitter: Shellz_sprouts  
Redubble: Beandoodz
> 
> If you enjoy her art, or want to commission her, please shoot her a DM!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I recently moved out and into my new apartment so I have been very VERY busy with that! This is one of my favorite chapters so far, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Zale woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing as he looked around his room. When did he get back here? A small headache was forming and he felt exhausted. 

His life here at Auradon Prep was officially over, it had to be. There was no way he could recover from this. His parents were going to kill him or he was going to get banished somewhere far away. He sighed and grabbed the sea turtle plush, squeezing it against his chest. 

Who would put salt water in the tank? Why would someone do that? Who would even know to do that? 

The door to his room opened and he took a deep breath, preparing for the worst when his parents entered.

“You’re awake,” Ariel said, walking towards him with a worried expression. “You’ve been asleep since yesterday.”

“How are you feeling?” Eric questioned and Zale hated this. They were dancing around the issue and he just wanted to get it over with.

“Can we just skip this and move to the part where you yell at me?” Zale asked, voice sounding rougher than he thought it would. “I hid all of this from you. I know you’re upset. I ruined family day. I ruined everything,” he said and put his hands over his face, drawing his knees in towards his chest.

“Of course I’m upset, Zale, but, we also hid a lot from you,” Ariel said, sitting on the edge of his bed. “If we had been more honest, we could have avoided a lot of this.”

“Your friends explained a little of it,” Eric said, joining Ariel. “They’re the ones that got you away from the crowd. I’m not sure how much you remember.”

“Not a lot…” Zale mumbled, feeling guilty, but partially relieved. “What happened to me? Why am I like this?”

They both looked at each other before turning back to look at him.

“We had a meeting with Fairy GodMother, there’s a few things we discussed,” Ariel said.“We all agreed it was best that we explain it to you and the others.”

“Others?” Zale questioned, confused.

“Ben and Mal need to know,” Eric said and Zale frowned at that. “We are also wanting to include Harry, Audrey, Jane, and Uma, if you are okay with that. If we don’t, I’m sure you would tell them anyway.”

“Harry was very upset yesterday. He cares about you a lot,” Ariel said and Zale stayed quiet on that one because he did not need anymore stress right now. 

“I didn’t...hurt anyone, did I?” Zale questioned, not wanting to face everyone if he had hurt anyone.

“No, no, honey!” Ariel said, shaking her head. “No one was hurt! In fact, I don’t think anyone suspects you….did all of that. At least no one in the media does.”

“It was just a gust of wind and a thunderstorm,” Eric said, trying to reassure him, though Zale knew he had to have done some major damage. He didn’t know the full extent, but there was no way he only made it a little windy. “I’m sure you’re still exhausted, so just rest for a little bit. We have a press conference to attend to and we will cover the mermaid issue.”

“We’re just happy you’re safe,” his mom said, brushing his bangs out of his face. “Take a shower, get something to drink, and just rest, okay? We love you, and we will figure all of this out, together,” Ariel said and kissed his forehead before getting up with Eric. “Rest easy, we’ll be back soon and explain everything,” she said before they left, shutting the door behind them. 

Zale let out a deep sigh and laid back in the bed, looking at the stuffed animals. He wasn’t sure how to feel at this point. Soon he would figure out what was so wrong with him, and why he had these powers, but what was the price of knowing all of that? Being banished? Being heavily guarded at all times? Harry not wanting to date him anymore? 

He groaned and forced himself to get out of bed. There was no way Harry would take it back now! He was the one who saved him today in the first place. Speaking of Harry, what happened yesterday? Zale had been so frustrated but amazingly in somewhat control of his powers, but when Harry grabbed him, he felt….different. 

Everything felt different, actually. He didn’t feel disgusting like he had when he lashed out at Uma and Harry, he didn’t feel like some kind of monster. He was angry and upset and scared but he felt more in control than before, and Harry just calmed him down, he provided some kind of clarity, some kind of safety, that Zale couldn’t provide for himself. 

Maybe all of this wasn’t so awful and scary? Maybe he wasn’t always going to have these fits of rage that spiraled out of control? Maybe before, with Harry and Uma, it was a fluke due to how ill he felt? 

He got in the shower and managed to get clean enough that he didn’t feel itchy or dry any longer and laid back on his bed after changing into fresh clothes. His phone was almost dead and even though he felt a bit overwhelmed, he went through the messages and calls, not replying, but just opening them so the notifications would go away. He didn’t dare tackle any social media apps, not yet. 

He didn’t want to read what people were saying about him. He knew he couldn’t handle it, and any bit of confidence he managed to cling onto would disappear the second he read the headlines.

There were no messages from Harry, which surprised him. Was Harry upset with him? His mother said Harry had been worried, so why were there no messages? He jumped when a tapping on one of his windows started and left the phone on his bed to investigate. 

“Bubbles!” Harry cheered when Zale pulled back the curtain, surprising the red head. 

“Harry?” Zale questioned and fumbled to open the window, confused. “I’m on the second floor, how are you able to get up here?” Zale asked once he got the window open.

“Faith, trust and pixie dust, Bubbles,” Harry said confidently.

“And a ladder we stole from the gardening club,” Uma called down from below. Zale peaked his head out the window and saw her down there holding the ladder, with Audrey and Jane waving up at him. 

“With reporters everywhere?!” Zale asked and Harry shrugged, not looking too worried. 

“We wanted to make sure ya were okay,” Harry said. “We didn’t wanna blow up ya phone and overwhelm ya, so this was the next best thing.”

“He showed a lot of restraint by not blowing up your phone yesterday,” Uma said and Harry just ignored her. 

“What about knocking on my door?” Zale asked and Harry rolled his eyes. 

“Chadwick was guarding it and wouldn’t let me in. I don’t think he likes me much since I kinda blew up on everyone,” Harry explained leaning against Zale’s window sill, one hand keeping a hold on the top of the ladder. “But, ya know, I said I wasn’t tryin’ to disrespect anyone, so, I ain’t sorry. They were tryin’ to keep us from knowin’ what happened to ya, and that ain’t goin’ fly with us, right princess?”

“Right!” Audrey cheered, looking determined.

“My parents are in a press conference right now, I think we’re about to find out exactly what is causing all of this,” Zale said, feeling loved. How could he not when they went through all of this trouble to check in on him? 

“Oh really?” Harry questioned, looking surprised. “Are ya scared? It ain’t as bad as ya think it is, a lot of people are more surprised than scared.”

“Of course I’m scared, I don’t want to have to face any of this, but, I have to. It’s kind of my duty as a Prince, and I need to know what’s wrong with me.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with you! I told ya that before,” Harry said, frowning at Zale. “Don’t go beatin’ yourself up over this, ain’t yer fault.” 

“I know, and my parents aren’t upset with me for it, I just didn’t want it to happen this way. I should be used to that by now though, nothing ever goes the way it’s planned around here.” 

“We’ll figure out what’s going on, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, for doing this and checking on me, I really appreciate it,” Zale said and Harry smiled at him. Zale felt like melting again. 

“Of course, Bubbles, and I’ll be there when ya tragic backstory gets told to us! Plus, we still got that date tomorrow, right?” Harry questioned and Zale nodded his head.

“Of course!”

“Zale, we need to go over a fe-“ Fairy Godmother said, coming into Zale’s room. She froze when she saw Harry, her face getting red. “Harry Hook what the bibbity boppity are you doing!? Get inside this room this instant!”

“Oop gotta go Bubbles! See ya soon!” Harry exclaimed and smiled at Zale before sliding down the ladder and helping Uma and the others run off with it. Zale leaned out the window, barely holding in laughter as he watched them scramble with the ladder. 

“That boy does not know when to draw the line!” Fairy God Mother said, ushering Zale back into the room, shutting and locking the window. “Stealing a ladder! Climbing up to the second floor? What is going through his head? I am going to get him!” She continued, hurrying out of the room.

“What is going on?” His mother asked and she and his father entered the room, both looking surprised. 

“Nothing,” Zale said, knowing that if his mother found out about what Harry did, she would be loading him down with questions that he couldn’t handle right now. “She just saw something out the window, you know how she likes things to run in bippity bobbity shape.”

“Hm, hopefully she’ll finish up in time for our next meeting,” Eric said and shut the door behind them. 

“We thought it would be best to go ahead and explain to you what happened, away from the others. You still must be exhausted, mentally and emotionally, we don’t want to push you anymore by putting you in a room full of people,” Ariel said, guiding him towards the couch. 

“Really? Or are you just worried I’ll lose control again?” Zale said, taking a seat on the couch. He looked up at his parents after asking this and they both looked away, meaning yes, they were worried about another storm. His confidence felt shakier now.

“Your powers took so much out of you before, we don’t want to risk you passing out again,” Ariel said, taking a seat next to him and putting her hand on his knee. “Now, just know that my side of the family isn’t exactly normal.” Zale just shot her a ‘oh really?’ look. “Your great grandfather is a bit eccentric sometimes, and decided that you, his first great grandson, deserved a gift.”

“I was the first born great grandson?” Zale asked.

“Yes,” Eric said and Zale groaned at that. “Don’t worry, your grandfather is not looking to pass down his title yet.”

“Okay, okay good,” Zale said, the weight off of his shoulders. “So the gift I got was...these powers? He gave baby me these powers?”

“He’s eccentric! He’s from a different time, giving babies gifts like these were normal back then,” Ariel explained while Eric and Zale just looked at her. “Ancient Greece was a very different time. Since you were a baby, the powers weren’t controllable. So your grandfather sealed them away, or attempted to, until you were old enough. The fins seemed to slip through pretty early, and the salt water brought out the powers. We assumed that would happen, so, that’s why we kept you away from the ocean.” 

“That’s it? This is all some cruel gift from the gods?” Zale questioned, trying to wrap his head around it. All this time he thought it was a curse, but it wasn’t? Still, something wasn’t adding up. Why were the pages in Fairy Godmother’s journal spelled away if these powers were just a gift? Was it all a part of the plan to keep it hidden away from Zale and the rest of the world? 

“It’s not a cruel gift, just, not a very thought out one,” Ariel said. “We were just so worried about how you would handle it. You always felt like an outsider compared to all the other kids, and we were worried telling you about the powers would make it worse.” 

“It definitely would have,” Zale said. It felt like there was something they were hiding from him, but what? What was there to hide? If this was the truth, if these powers were a gift from a god, what more could there be to hide? His debut day could have been hidden for his own protection. If people found out he possessed these gifts, he could have been kidnapped and used to harm people. 

Harm people.

“So...am I always forever to be gifted with these powers?” Zale questioned and when his parents nodded their heads, he sighed. “So I’m always going to be a danger to everyone around me.”

“No, no, honey, you aren’t a danger at all!” Ariel said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for a hug. “Yesterday you were put in a horrible, awful position, but you didn’t hurt anyone! We know you didn’t want to hurt anyone, and you didn’t! You would never hurt someone, you have a gentle and caring soul.” 

“Everyone keeps saying that but…”

“That’s because everyone knows you would never hurt someone,” Ariel said, giving him another squeeze before letting go. “We have to meet with the others soon and explain all of this to them. Will you be okay by yourself?”

“Of course,” Zale said, ready to lay down again. He couldn’t tell if he should be relieved, or more stressed out. 

“Just take some time to decompress,” Ariel said before getting up, patting his shoulder. 

“Chadwick will be right outside the door if you need anything,” Eric said as they both headed to the door. Zale offered them a smile before they left and once the door was shut, he groaned and laid on the couch.

A gift.

A GIFT.

Who gives a baby THE POWERS TO CONTROL THE WEATHER!

Actually, they never told him the extent of his powers.What could he do with them? 

There was knocking on his door and Zale sat up to see his grandfather entering the room. 

“Oh, hey Grandfather. I thought you went back to Atlantica?” Zale questioned, surprised. 

“I will shortly, I wanted to come see you before I left, since we don’t get to see each other often,” the man said, coming over to the couch. “How are you feeling? Your mother told me that they explained everything to you, about the powers and how you got them.”

“Uh, yeah, I feel, okay? As well as you can in this situation,” he replied, shrugging. “I wasn’t really expecting the whole, gift from a god thing. I was thinking it was going to be more like a curse.”

“Gift from a god?” Triton questioned, looking a little taken aback by it, which made Zale’s stomach drop a little. 

“They told me...great grandfather gave me these powers, and that you sealed them away until I was old enough to control them, or touched salt water, which is weird but, uhm, Grandfather?” Zale questioned, worried at the look that was on the old man’s face. “Is it not true?”

“No no, you are fine, boy,” Triton said, reaching out and rubbing the top of Zale’s head. “They explained it differently than I would, but it is all fine. I have something I want to give you, actually,” Triton continued, reaching into his pocket.

“You have something for me?” Zale questioned as Triton pulled out a small locket from his pocket. “A necklace?”

“I wanted to give it to you when you were younger, but we were worried it would cause you to try to escape to the sea,” Triton said, handing it to Zale. “You can open it.”

“Woah!” Zale exclaimed when he opened the locket and an image of Atlantica appeared, with mermaids and fish swimming around it. “Is that what Atlantica looks like?”

“The locket does not do it justice,” Triton replied as he watched Zale examine the locket. “One day you’ll get to visit.”

“Yeah, and I’ll be there a lot sooner if they kick me out of Auradon for being a freak,” Zale muttered and shut the locket. “Thanks, grandpa.”

“You are not a freak, Zale, and Atlantica will always welcome you whenever you wish,” Triton said, smiling at him. “You just pick up your mother’s shell phone and give me a call, and I’ll come get you myself.”

\--

“I swear that boy!” Fairy Godmother said, opening the door to the conference room. Mal and Ben were there, along with Belle and Adam, who watched as she stormed in.

“What happened?” Belle questioned, looking from Ariel to Fairy Godmother, confused. 

“Harry Hook was on a ladder outside of Zale’s window!” She exclaimed, shaking her head. Ariel raised her eyebrows and looked at Eric, a small smirk on her face. He ignored her but she still looked pleased. 

“Regardless, it was DANGEROUS,” Fairy Godmother said as Harry entered, being led in by Zale’s coach. “And I cannot believe all of you helped!” She continued as Audrey, Uma, and Jane followed in, with Evie behind them. 

“Evie?” Mal questioned, eyebrows furrowing. 

“She was there when it happened,” Coach Jenkins explained, directing them to their seats. “Did her best to get the crowd away.” 

“Now,” Fairy Godmother said, shutting the door to the conference room. “This is a VERY sensitive topic and we do not want this to spread around the kingdoms. Is that understood?”

“We will keep it very brief,” Eric said, standing as he said this. “When he was a baby, his great grandfather insisted on giving him a gift, the gift to somewhat control the weather. We were able, with the help of King Triton, to suppress these powers until he made contact with salt water.”

“Who gives a baby the power to control the weather?” Audrey asked, confused by this.

“Sounds like something a god would do, for fun,” Mal muttered, shaking her head. “So, Zale has these powers now. There is no way of sealing them again?”

“I don’t believe so. Sealing them away was difficult for my father to do in the first place,” Ariel explained. 

“Well due to these powers, we have quite the mess on our hands,” Ben said, drawing everyone’s attention to him. He looked stern, with a frown on his face. “Family day was a disaster, and the storm caused quite the wreckage. We have clean up crews on it, and I know you have already held a press conference regarding the mermaid situation, but Zale still has these powers. Do you see the issue?”

“Uh, no, I ain’t seein’ no issue,” Harry said, glaring at Ben. What was with Ben?

“He can’t control them,” Ben said and Harry felt a rage building inside of him.

“Yeah, Bubbles can! Usin’ today as an example ain’t fair!” Harry exclaimed, not believing what Ben was saying. “Ya know it ain’t fair too!”

“Harry is right,” Audrey said, nodding her head. “How would you like it, Ben, if you went all ‘beast mode’ and had the press in your face? You wouldn’t react very well either!”

“Audrey is right,” Mal said and Uma raised her eyebrows at that. It seemed to surprise everyone in the room, including Ben. “Today’s situation...it shouldn’t be used against Zale. That’s not fair, and it wasn’t like he asked for these powers, or has used them to hurt anyone. No one was injured today, right?”

“Right,” Ariel said. “We are aware of the possible dangers, and we know that this could have been a harmless prank, or a not so harmless incident, but, we want Zale to stay here at Auradon Prep. He’s almost eighteen, and….we believe that the powers will settle down and be more manageable. It was a very, very tense and scary situation. If he had known about this, if we had told him, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“Zale has always been very mild mannered,” Belle said, backing Ariel up. “I think, if he’s not put in situations like that again, he will be okay.” 

“But what if he’s put in a situation like that again?” Ben asked, standing now. “What if the paparazzi find out and run a story about this? That’s another situation where he could lose his control and we can’t guarantee anyone’s safety.”

“Then we send in Harry!” Audrey said, gesturing to the boy. “He calms him down!” 

“He was able to get Zale out of the tank very easily today,” Evie added, looking to Harry. “It was like the second he touched him, the storm weakened greatly. Maybe Harry is magic?” 

Harry stared down Audrey, silently threatening, and begging her, not to shout out ‘true love’ and embarrass him and Zale in front of everyone. Audrey seemed to get the message, and merely nodded her head at Evie’s statement. 

“Yeah, he could have some odd calming ability! Who's to say that if Audrey reached in or I reached in, we wouldn’t have gotten the same result?” Jane said, trying to help their case. “I think he just needs someone to ground him, someone he knows and trusts. I’m sure if Queen Ariel was there, he would’ve been fine! He was just scared.” 

“I agree with them,” Mal said, which confused Harry a little. Mal seemed to barely need any reasoning to take their side. Was there something she knew that they didn’t? 

“So, the solution to this problem is to expect Harry to prevent anymore tropical storm level winds and rains from happening? That is ridiculous to expect!” Ben exclaimed, looking frustrated. “We should just send him to Atlantica, where he can’t hurt anyone with his powers.”

“Hey hey, no! I’m with him a majority of the day ‘cuz of classes and hangin’ out, and if it ain’t me around, it’s Lonnie or Audrey or Jane or Uma! So what’s the big deal? He’s had these powers for weeks and ain’t none of y’all knew until yesterday, so I think we’ve been handlin’ it fine. Zale has control of ‘em! Ain’t no reason to send him off to Atlantica unless he wants to go there!”

Ben stared hard at Harry, who only stared hard back. He was not backing down to Ben and his power trip. 

Mal put her hand on Ben’s arm and Harry watched, confused, as the rage on Ben’s face immediately softened and melted away. That wasn’t normal, was it? 

“Fine, we will continue to see how this goes.”

\--

“Are you going to be okay without us?” Ariel asked, standing by the limo outside of the dorms. 

“Of course he will be,” Eric said, patting Zale’s shoulders. “He’s very capable, and he has a good group of friends to support him, and he knows he can call us whenever he needs us,” Eric continued and Zale looked between the both of them with a small smile. 

“I’ll be okay, I promise,” Zale had decided yesterday evening that he was going to just accept that it was a gift,  _ for now _ . He trusted his parents, and why would they lie about something this serious? He didn’t want to second guess things anymore, and he knew he had an uphill battle ahead of him once he was in class, so why make things more difficult for himself? 

“We’ll have to plan another dinner soon,” Ariel said. She wrapped Zale in a tight hug, squeezing him. “You’ll have to invite Harry, of course!”

“I know I know,” Zale said, lungs screaming for air as she let him go. His dad just patted his shoulder again and gave him a knowing look as they got into the limo. “Have a safe trip back home!”

“You be safe too!” Ariel said, hanging out the window to tell him this as the limo drove off. Zale let out a sigh, shoulders sagging as he did so. He was so exhausted and he turned to head back into the dorms. 

So much happened this weekend, he was surprised he had stayed vocal during all of it. Maybe it was the relief of finally knowing about the origin of his powers, or that entirety of Auradon knew he could have fins that made him feel…...free. 

He retrieved his book bag from his room and headed for his first class of the day. He could do this! He could be strong, and face whatever people whispered about him behind his back, or any fish that Chad stuffed in his locker. 

“Ahoy there, Bubbles,” Harry greeted him with a wide smile outside of Zale’s first class. The two hadn’t seen each other after Harry climbed up to his window, and Zale missed him, which was ridiculous but Zale didn’t care. 

“Harry!” Zale exclaimed, smiling back at him and hurried across the hallway. “What are you doing over here?”

“Wanted to see ya before class, that a problem?” Harry questioned, even though he knew it wasn’t. “How ya feelin’?”

“Kind of exhausted, actually,” Zale said, letting himself relax around Harry. “But other than that, I feel pretty good. There was a lot of information given to me this weekend, so I’m still trying to process it all.” 

“We ain’t gotta go out tonight if yer tired, Bubbles, you had a long weekend.”

“No! No, I do!” Zale exclaimed, putting his hands up. “I meant more so, exhausted from all the thinking and all of that stuff but no, I’m never too exhausted to spend time with you, and I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“Stop flirting,” Uma said as she walked past the both of them and into the classroom. 

“She’s just jealous,” Harry told Zale with a smirk, pleased that Zale seemed to be doing so well. Harry was sure no one told him what happened in the meeting, and that was for the best. Zale’s confidence would take a hit if he found out that one of his childhood best friends had no faith in his ability to control his powers. “I’ll see ya at lunch, Bubbles.”

“Oh yeah, you better hurry before the bell rings,” Zale said though he knew Harry didn’t care if he was late to class or not. “Go!” Zale said and playfully nudged him before entering his class room. 

It was silent when he entered and he was brought down from his Harry high as he slowly walked to his desk behind Uma and sat down. 

“Don’t worry about them,” Uma said, looking at Zale as she turned in her seat. “The girls in the back were just discussing what color their tails would be if they were mermaids, you’re safe.”

“Oh,” Zale said as talking resumed in the class. “Thanks for Saturday, I really appreciated your help.”

“I’m surprised you remembered I was there. You were locked onto Harry for the few minutes you were conscious,” she said, watching his ears get red. Maybe Audrey had the right idea when she said true love was the reason why Zale calmed down at Harry’s presence. It would make sense, more sense than Harry having magical abilities. 

She never would have imagined Harry’s true love would be someone like Zale, who was so gentle and quiet.

“It’s kind of blurry, and foggy,” Zale admitted. “And I’m sorry you never got that unicorn for Audrey.”

“Oh hush,” Uma muttered, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Was Zale really worried about that when his presence in Auradon was now on the line? “I managed to snag one, it’s just drying off in my bathroom. It was covered in mud so I had to clean it off.”

“Where did you find it?” Zale asked, surprised at how much effort Uma went into it. Audrey was going to be so happy. 

“After the meeting, Fairy Godmother lectured us then made us help clean the mess up outside. I found it behind a rose bush. It flew off of it’s hook and got stuck, but, works for me,” Uma shrugged as Zale smiled at her. “What?”

“Nothing, I’m just happy you and Audrey get along,” Zale said, smiling at her. 

“She’s not so bad,” Uma said as the teacher walked into the classroom. 

\--

Zale paused, with his lunch tray in his hands. He scanned the courtyard, and saw none of his friends, which was odd, because Harry said they’d see each other at lunch, but, he was nowhere in sight. 

Audrey wasn’t there either, or Lonnie, or Jane. They were normally all seated before him so where were they? He awkwardly looked around again and walked to an empty table. It felt like freshmen year all over again. 

“Probably just running late,” he told himself as he sat down and slid his bookbag off and onto the bench next to him. It felt so odd to be alone in such a social setting after people surrounded by people the past few months. He didn’t like it. 

He began eating his fruit cup and continued to look around, still not seeing any of his friends. Were there plans to eat off campus today that he had forgotten about? Or did he just not get invited? 

No, no. They wouldn’t exclude him and he was not going to even entertain that possibility. His self-esteem felt a little shaky, but he was fine. No one had made any rude comments towards him so far, and no one seemed scared of him, which was a huge relief. 

The media was still abuzz about it, but he never paid much attention to the media in the first place. He couldn’t, or it would riddle him with more anxiety than he already had. He had felt pretty good this morning, but now that he was sitting alone, his mind wandered. 

Were these powers actually a gift? Or were his parents trying to cover something up? He wanted to believe them, but there was a small nagging feeling in his gut that told him there was more to the story. His grandfather’s slight confusion when Zale explained what was told to him was what really nagged at him.Still, what could he do about it? If he uncovered the real truth, if there was a real truth, it could get him taken from Auradon Prep, all of his friends, and Harry. 

He could go to Atlantica for the time being, maybe if he realized he couldn’t handle everything like he hoped he could. He didn’t want to be separated from everyone, but, he had to be prepared for the worst. 

Also, was Harry magical? Or could anyone give him the same peace that Harry gave him? If it was only Harry that could do it, what was the reason? 

“Can I sit here?” A voice pulled Zale out of his thoughts and he looked up at a girl with short black hair and brown eyes looking at him. 

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Zale said and she flashed him a smile before taking her seat. He slowly ate his mashed potatoes, waiting for the girl to speak to him, but she only ate her lunch and pulled out a book while she ate.

Zale finished up his food and looked around the courtyard one last time before giving up. He put his bookbag on as he stood and grabbed his tray. Lunch was going to be over soon. So after dumping his tray, he headed to his locker. 

“Ya finish lunch already?” Zale turned and saw Harry, who was clearly out of breath, running up to him. 

“Oh, yeah, well, you’d be surprised how fast you eat when you aren’t distracted by talking,” Zale said. “Are you okay?”

“Was Jane not at lunch?” Harry asked, looking confused.

“No one was there,” Zale said and Harry sighed. Well, except the girl, who was pretty good company. The stress and worry of sitting alone disappeared when she sat down, and she was quiet and didn’t ask Zale any weird questions, which was nice. 

“I’m sorry Bubbles, ya weren’t supposed to be eatin’ alone,” Harry said which confused Zale even more. Was something going on that he didn’t know about? 

“Harry, it’s okay. I had a mini panic moment, but I got myself through it. I figured you all had different things going on. Besides, a girl sat with me, she didn’t say anything, but it was nice,” Zale said but Harry still didn’t look pleased. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah Bubbles! I was just! Doin’ stuff!” Harry exclaimed. “Oi, what did ya panic about? Someone sat with you?” 

“Nothing, nothing! Just normal Zale panic things, you know?” Zale questioned, shrugging. “You know how I am, I’m always worrying about something that’s out of my control. I don’t know who she was, she just sat and ate and read her book.”

“What’s on yer mind?” Harry asked, looking concerned. 

“Are you going to tell me what you were doing?” Zale asked and Harry frowned. “Ah hah, we are at an impasse it seems.”

“Mine is a surprise, and yours ain’t. Big difference there, Bubbles,” Harry said as they got to Zale’s locker. “If somethin’ is worryin’ ya, ya know ya can talk to me ‘bout it.”

“I know, I know. Everything just seemed so easy, that’s all. I’m not used to things being easy,or going this well, so I’m a bit on edge,” Zale said, and unlocked his locker, ready for sand or fish to come flying out, but nothing did. 

“Why did ya flinch, Bubbles?” Harry questioned, confused.

“I thought someone would’ve put sand or fish in my locker,” he answered, surprised. “But, maybe things really are this easy.”

  
  


-

“Why are ya here again?” Harry questioned Jay, who was, for some unknown reason to Harry, laying on Harry’s bed, in Harry and Gil’s shared room. 

“Why are you getting all dolled up?” Jay asked back, narrowing his eyes at Harry. Harry had spent almost half an hour in the bathroom, and had been pacing for another half hour. “You got a date this evening?”

“Dolled up?” Harry asked before shoving Jay off of his bed to grab his red coat. “I look the same as I did in class earlier, get yer eyes checked.”

“You could’ve asked me to move!” Jay said, standing now and looking angry that Harry had shoved him. 

“I could’ve,” Harry said, putting his coat on. “But ain’t as much fun that way,” he smirked and Jay made a move to hit him when Gil opened the bedroom door.

“Oh hey Zale!” Gil greeted and Harry dodged out of Jay’s way and headed towards the door, ignoring Jay completely now that Zale was here. 

“Oi, Bubbles! Thought I was comin’ to ya?” Harry asked and Zale raised his eyebrows, looking behind Harry to Jay. Harry turned and waved off Jay, rolling his eyes. “Ignore ol’ grumpy pants, he just wants to cause trouble.”

“You pushed me off of the bed!” Jay exclaimed and Harry continued his way to the door, ready to leave. 

“It was my bed and ya were layin’ on me coat, so,” Harry said back to Jay. “Anyway, Bubbles, let’s get goin’!” Harry shut the door behind him and Zale chuckled.

“You’re so mean,” Zale said, though Harry could tell he was only teasing. “Why was he laying on your bed in the first place?”

“I dunno, he should’ve known I was goin’ do somethin’ like that,” Harry said as they headed out of the dorms and towards the lake. “He said I was all dolled up.”

“Well you always look handsome to me, so,” Zale shrugged and Harry felt like he needed a moment after that. He loved when Zale complimented him. “I like the coat, you look really good in red.”

“Double compliments right off the gate? Ya really tryin’ to make me swoon, Bubbles,” Harry said with a grin. “Awah, look at how red yer ears are gettin’. Ain’t I the one suppose to be all blushy since ya complimentin’ me?”

“I get flushed easily, you know this,” Zale mumbled, pressing his hair against his ears to conceal them. “Plus, I’ve never been on a date before so I’m really nervous,” he admitted. 

“Don’t be embarrassed, Bubbles, ain’t like I’ve been on a million dates either. The Isle does things differently,” Harry said, hoping that was comforting to Zale. “Just goin’ do what we normally do!”

“Which is?” Zale asked, having no clue what they were going to do. He tried to ask Harry a few times after classes today, but he just said it was a surprise. 

“Ya goin’ like it, trust me,” Harry said as they headed up a trail towards the enchanted lake. Harry reached out and took Zale’s hand, squeezing it as Zale smiled at him, the setting sun hitting Zale’s face perfectly. 

“Is whatever the surprise is why you weren’t at lunch?” Zale asked, happy to not see anyone on the trail with them. He just wanted alone time with Harry. 

“Yeah yeah, Jane was supposed to be at lunch so ya wouldn’t be alone,” Harry said as they approached the lake. “Alrighty, Bubbles, close your eyes!” 

“Huh?” Zale asked and Harry put one hand over Zale’s eyes, too impatient to wait for Zale to do it himself. He kept one hand in Zale’s, guiding him down the rocks to the area they usually hung out in. “What’s going on?” Zale asked but Harry kept quiet until they came to a stop. 

“Hope this ain’t too cheesy or nothin’.” Harry said and removed his hand so Zale could see.

“You did this?” Zale questioned, looking at how all of the columns had strings of lights around them that emitted a soft glow. “This is so pretty and is that sushi!?” Zale asked, noticing the small picnic that was set up. “This is really romantic?”

“Audrey said my idea of a first date was lame so she and the others helped me out,” Harry said, looking a little embarrassed. 

“That explains some things,” Zale said and smiled at Harry. “Were you guys doing this during lunch?”

“Yeah, Audrey ordered us around and we rushed to get it all set up. Sorry if it seemed like we ditched ya,” Harry said and Zale hugged him tightly.

“I love it. You guys are the best,” Zale said, warmth spreading all over him when Harry hugged him back. “And just so you know, I would have been totally fine with ordering sushi and sitting on my couch watching movies.”

“Audrey refused to let that be yer first date, and ‘sides, I wanted to really make ya swoon,” Harry said as Zale pulled away from the hug. 

“Well consider me swooning….and starving,” Zale muttered as his stomach growled. “How did the food get here?”

“Audrey and Uma,” Harry said, plopping down on the blanket with no grace as Zale joined him, excited to eat. “They got themselves dinner too, apparently Audrey planned a movie night for Uma to catch her up on all the movies she’s missed out on.”

“Did Uma give Audrey the unicorn?” Zale asked and plopped a piece of sushi in his mouth, sighing happily as he chewed it. All the stress and worry from today and this past weekend was melting away. 

“Uma told ya ‘bout that? Think she might give it to her tonight. She’s all nervous,” Harry chuckled, pleased with how happy Zale was. It was worth all the hassle to see Zale so relaxed. He was pretty thankful for Audrey’s help, because he wanted to cheer Zale up and take his mind off of all the drama that unfolded the last few days. With how content Zale looked, Harry guessed he achieved that. 

“I think she likes Audrey,” Zale said, eating another piece. “I don’t know if Audrey told you about her wanting to go horseback riding soon. I think it would be fun.”

“I was thinkin’ the same thing!” Harry exclaimed and smirked. “She teased me ‘bout givin’ ya that conch shell but got all in a hussy when I teased her ‘bout the unicorn! What a couple they’ll be. Horseback ridin’? I ain’t been near a horse long enough to know how to ride it.” 

“I think they’d be a pretty good match, maybe I’ll ask Audrey about it. I could show you, how! Audrey really wants to teach Uma, but I think you guys will just ride on the horses with us in the end,” Zale said, eating another roll as he looked up at the darkening sky. There was still a good bit of light left, but the sky was melting into oranges and purples as the sun sunk lower. 

“Hm, maybe,” Harry said, watching Zale, who looked golden in the light. He felt like he needed to pinch himself to believe this was actually happening. He really was on a date with Zale, and Zale was so happy and enjoying himself so much. “How ya feelin’?”

“I feel….happy,” Zale said, smiling at Harry. “Today was a little shaky but that’s okay. Tomorrow will be better. All that matters is that I’ve got you, and the others.”

“But mostly me,” Harry said with a smirk, which made Zale roll his eyes. “Oi, yeah, Uma left us towels if you wanted to go swimmin’. We weren’t sure how you’d feel after everything.”

“I hate how it was done, but I don’t have to be scared about people knowing about my tail anymore. It’s actually pretty freeing to be able to swim without worry. Plus, the lake is really pretty for night swimming.” 

“That works out, Uma made me another breathing gummy,” Harry said, finding it in a small bag in the picnic basket. “We ain’t goin’ get cramps because we went swimmin’ after eatin’, right?”

“That’s just a myth, no worries,” Zale said and grinned at Harry. “Sorry, I feel like I’m kind of all over the place. I think I’m still nervous and really happy, it’s kind of overwhelming,” Zale admitted, feeling like he was about to start rambling. “It’s just been a really crazy weekend and I’m still trying to figure it all out, but, I’m just really happy that none of that matters right now because I’m with you, and you always, amazingly, make me feel better.” 

“That so?” Harry questioned, trying not to think about what Audrey said. True love was absolutely terrifying to think about, but it was a little less scary when Zale was sitting in front of him, smiling at him like Harry was all he ever wanted. “Thanks Bubbles, normally when I’m ‘round other people tend to feel worse.” 

“Well, I’m not other people,” Zale said, still smiling at Harry. “And you are quite the trouble maker.” 

“I worked so hard on this date and ya got the gall to call me a trouble maker? Bubbles, ya breakin’ my heart,” Harry said, teasing Zale. 

“To be fair, I did say before that that you always make me feel better,” Zale said and snatched a sushi roll out of Harry’s hand with a smirk and popped it into his mouth.

“Stealin’ from a pirate is goin’ get ya in a load of trouble!” Harry exclaimed and jumped up as Zale attempted to crawl away, mouth full of sushi. “Ya ain’t goin’ nowhere!” Harry grabbed Zale around his waist and pulled him back, listening to Zale laugh as he slipped through Harry’s grasp.

“Gotta be quicker than that!” Zale teased, and got to his feet as Harry took off his coat, tossing it to the ground as he followed after Zale. It didn’t take him long to catch up to Zale and he grabbed him around the waist again, smiling to himself as Zale laughed. “I’m sorry for eating your sushi!” Zale exclaimed as Harry picked him up, carrying him towards the water. “No no my shoes Harry!! My clothes will be all wet!” 

“Oh now ya wanna barter with a pirate after ya stole his meal?” Harry asked and Zale gave him a pitiful look, eyes wide. “Don’t do that to me, Bubbles, that’s cheatin’!”

“I don’t want to walk back to campus with wet shoes,” Zale said, holding on tighter to Harry as the male got closer to the water’s edge. 

Harry was going to be nice and let him kick off his shoes, but he paused, getting an idea. 

“Guess I’ll have to carry ya back,” Harry said and tossed him into the water, Zale shouting as he fell. Harry kicked off his boots and socks as Zale reached out from the water and tried to pull him in, but it was too late. 

“Dang, you got your shoes off before I could get to you,” Zale said, frowning up at him as he pulled himself back onto land, taking off his wet clothing. 

“Gotta be quicker than that,” Harry said and took off his shirt before going through the picnic basket. Harry paused in his search to lay Zale’s clothes out, though they both knew it wouldn’t make a difference now that the sun had set. Harry pulled out the bag and popped the gummy in his mouth, pausing before chewing when he saw a movement on one of the cliffs surrounding the lake. He stared hard, but there was nothing he could see that was out of the ordinary. 

“Harry?” Zale asked, looking from Harry to the spot Harry was glaring at with a worried expression. “Something wrong?”

“Nah, Bubbles, thought I saw someone, guess they realized someone was here and left,” Harry said and swallowed the gummy, pulling his eyes away from the cliffs to look back at Zale. “Don’t look so worried!”

“Then don’t scare me like that! I thought you saw the paparazzi or something like that,” Zale said, pushing off from the stone as Harry ran towards the edge of the water, jumping into the lake, landing right next to Zale. “Oh!” Zale exclaimed as the waves sent him swirling under the water. “Very funny.”

“It was!” Harry said, laughing as he watched Zale regain his composure as his tail took over his legs. The water was cold and Harry shivered, hoping he would warm up soon. Fall was here, it seemed, which was sad because Harry loved swimming with Zale in the lake. “What’s all this goin’ on?” Harry said, seeing lights around the lakes’ walls and floor. 

“It’s some of the plants, and these weird crystals,” Zale explained, taking one of Harry’s hands and swimming over to the side of the lake so Harry could see what he was talking about. “I think they absorb the light from the sun? But I’m not so sure. I always just chalked it up to being magic. It’s nice that it keeps the water from being dark and scary.”

“But ya got dark vision, right?” Harry asked.

“I do now, but I didn’t before,” Zale said, lightly touching one of the crystals. “Now you can see too! Which is great because swimming in the dark is awful. I know from experience.”

“Bubbles, how many things have you swam in to?” Harry asked, smiling when Zale looked away from him, still holding his hand. “That many?” Zale ignored him and let go of Harry’ hand, leaving him to float by himself. “Awah Bubbles! Ya know I was just teasin’ ya!”

“You’ll never improve your swimming skills if I drag you around, Hook,” Zale said, looking back at him, moving effortlessly through the water. Harry always felt like he was in a dream when he watched Zale swim. 

“Hey, what’s that?” Harry questioned, noticing the golden locket around Zale’s neck. He must have kept it under his shirt. 

“Oh, this is a locket my grandfather gave me yesterday,” Zale turned around and swam back over to Harry so he could get a closer look. “Check this out,” Zale said and opened it, letting Harry see the scene of Atlantica.

“Woah, that’s…” Harry said, at a loss for words. It was beautiful. “So this is Atlantica?”

“Yup. Grandfather said it looked more beautiful in person. He gave it to me when you and the others were in the meeting. He told me if I wanted to come to Atlantica, all I had to do was ask.” 

“Really?” Harry asked, stomach dropping. “Do you want to go?”

“Not now, no, but someday,” Zale said, looking at the locket once more. “I have to face the fact that it might not be my choice when I go….if I am deemed a danger to Auradon, then I need to leave.”

“Ya ain’t a danger!” Harry said, shutting the locket. 

“Harry, come on,” Zale said, frowning at him. “I don’t want to go, I want to stay here, but if something else happens that causes me to react like I did on Saturday….it’s just something I have to consider.”

“I don’t want to consider it,” Harry mumbled, not liking the sinking feeling in his heart that he felt when he thought about Zale being so far away. Was this normal to feel this way? He hated it. 

“Even if I was in Atlantica, we could still talk. There’s shell phones we can use,” Zale said, hoping it would brighten things up. “I shouldn’t have brought it up, I’m sorry.”

“Nah, Bubbles, it’s fine. No matter what, we’ll be fine, and besides, I’ll make sure that nothin’ happens to ya, got it?” Harry said, forcing a smile. Zale smiled back at him and Harry felt a million times better. 

“You’re right, now, come on, let me teach you how to swim better.”

\--

“Still wet,” Zale said as he forced his wet socks onto his feet. They both had dried off with their towels, but Zale’s clothes were still wet.

“I told ya I’d carry ya, Bubbles,” Harry said, picking up the picnic basket as Zale forced his feet into his shoes, making a disgusted face as he did so. 

“I’m not going to let you carry me all the way back to the school! That’s like a mile, Harry,” Zale said, shaking his head. 

“I’m yer boyfriend, lemme carry you,” Harry said and Zale paused while tying his shoes and looked up at Harry. 

“Boyfriend?” Zale questioned, voice quiet, his heart was beating so fast it was echoing in his ears loudly. Did Harry mean to say that? It had only been one date but that was enough, right? Or were there a certain number of dates that they had to go on before they could be boyfriends? 

“Well, yeah, if that’s fine with ya?” Harry asked, relief washing over him when Zale nodded his head immediately, smiling at Harry, shoelaces forgotten. “Alright then,” Harry said, walking over to where Zale was sitting and knelt down, finishing tying Zale’s shoe for him. Zale pulled the towel on his head down, covering his face, which made Harry chuckle. “Ya were so bold at the start of the date,” Harry said, pulling the towel back. 

Zale’s ears were red, of course he was flustered, and his eyes were glossy, like he was about to cry, but there was a softness about him, in his expression, that pulled Harry in. Harry had no clue how Zale did it, how he was able to captivate Harry without saying anything, by just looking at him with an endearing expression, a soft smile and blushed cheeks. The lights around him made Zale almost glow and Harry wanted to kiss him. 

Then Zale sneezed. Twice. 

“Bless ya, Bubbles. Hop on my back, and let’s head home. You need to get out of those wet clothes” Harry turned around and Zale climbed on, wrapping his arms around Harry’s neck. 

“Ya awfully quiet now, Bubbles, ya good?” 

Harry felt Zale’s legs tighten around him as his hands moved in front of Harry’s face, signing something. 

“Do it again?” Harry asked and Zale signed slower this time and Harry’s brain turned, trying to figure out what he was trying to say. “Happy?” He guessed and felt Zale’s arms back around him, squeezing him. “Aw, Bubbles, ya so happy ya can’t talk?” Zale let out a sigh and Harry turned to look at him the best he could, offering him a smile “Ya so cute! Don’t force yer self, it ain’t a problem. I’ve been practicin’ sign language for situations like this! Think I did pretty good!” 

He felt Zale rest his chin on his shoulder and he felt ridiculously happy. He never thought he would get this much joy from something like this, but Zale was special. 

Zale sneezed again and groaned, making Harry laugh. “Awah, you gettin’ sick, Bubbles? Maybe we shouldn’t have gone swimmin’.”

_ “I’m fine” _ Zale signed slowly, but Harry picked up his pace not wanting Zale to be out in the cold longer than he needed to be. 

“No, it sounds like ya might be catchin’ cold, Zale,” Harry said and Zale only rested his chin on Harry’s shoulder again as a response. The rest of the walk was in silence, with Zale’s occasional sneezing.

“Alright, a bit of team work needed for this,” Harry said as they approached the dorm doors. Zale reached forward and opened the door and Harry slipped in, not stopping until they were up the stairs and in front of Zale’s room. He let Zale slide off his back and waited as Zale unlocked his door. “If ya ain ‘t feelin’ good tomorrow, don’t force ya self to come to class,” Harry said and Zale just nodded his head before sighing, looking down at his hands. “I know I know, ya upset because ya wanna tell me you had an amazin’ time tonight, but ya so overwhelmed with ya feelin’s for me, that ya can’t speak, right?” 

Zale stared at him, eyebrows raised, then nodded his head and Harry felt himself blush. “Ya really overwhelmed because of your feelings? For me?” Harry asked, surprised. Zale was able to go this entire weekend and not go quiet, but Harry asking him to be his boyfriend took him out? Zale began signing again and Harry watched, trying to keep up. “Ya so happy…..can’t breathe?” Harry questioned and Zale nodded slowly, gesturing that Harry was partially right. “I had a great time tonight Bubbles, I feel kinda like I’m dreamin’ to be honest,” Harry admitted and Zale smiled at him, face lighting up. “We can talk more tomorrow, though, ya really need to get changed outta those wet clothes.” 

Zale hugged him tightly, catching him off guard, then kissed Harry’s cheek before hurrying into his dorm room, shutting the door behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And as always, thanks for the bookmarks, comments, and kudos! I really loved reading yalls reaction to the last chapter!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Please enjoy

“How did it go!!!” Jane, Lonnie, and Audrey all asked Zale at the same time at lunch the next day. He sat down, sneezing into his elbow, before looking at all of them. 

“It was really nice,” he said, then sneezed again. “I kind of caught a small cold, though.”

“It did get pretty cold last night, maybe swimming wasn’t a good idea,” Audrey said, and pulled out a tissue from her bag and gave it to him. “But other than that? Did you two kiss?!”

“Well, sorta..almost, not really,” Zale sighed and rubbed his nose with the tissue. “I had a really really great time, I felt super overwhelmed actually. He uh, asked me to be his boyfriend, so, there’s that.” 

“REALLY!” Lonnie exclaimed, and they all shushed her as the tables around them looked at them. 

“Lonnie we’re not spreading this around,” Zale told her, face red. “Yeah, we’re boyfriends now if that’s how it goes? I don’t know how any of this works, kind of my first time.”

“Well what did you say to that?” Jane asked, eyes wide. 

“Well, uhm, I said ‘boyfriend?’ and he was all ‘yeah if that’s alright with you’ and then….I went mute,” Zale sighed deeply, putting his head on the table. It was the best moment of his life so far and he couldn’t force himself to speak up. How typical of him. 

“You didn’t!” Audrey said, looking at Zale. “You were that overwhelmed?!”

“I was just so happy,” Zale told them, still with his head on the table. “I couldn’t believe it was happening and I was so happy, I’ve never been that happy before. Is that normal? To feel that happy in that situation?” Zale looked up after he asked this. “Ugh it doesn’t matter because then after that, I was even happier because Harry could understand my signing to him, sort of. He got the just of most of it.”

“Aww,” all three said at the same time. 

“There was a moment where I thought...you know he might...kiss me, but then I sneezed and ruined everything, as I typically do,” Zale sighed again, leaning his head against the palm of his hand. “I couldn’t believe it! Why did I sneeze!!” 

“It’s okay, you’ll get another chance,” Lonnie said, chuckling at the situation. “That’s so cute though, and so very you.” 

“Yeah, but, I was brave at the end, and I kissed him on the cheek, so, not a total wimp,” Zale said and all three girls squealed as quietly as they could. “You all are so invested in this.”

“Of course we are! We’ve been invested since you two became friends!” Jane said, smiling at him. “See, I just knew. I knew you two would hit it off!”

“It was obvious, you two have great chemistry,” Lonnie added, nodding her head. “We’re so happy for you! You deserve this, Zale!” 

“She’s right. You deserve to be this happy, and I’m sure Harry is just as happy. He’s so head over heels for you,” Audrey smiled, patting Zale’s back. “So he won’t be opposed to going to my home for the weekend for horseback riding, right? You just shoot him those big green puppy dog eyes and he’ll do anything!” 

“Ha, I doubt that,” Zale said, referring to the horseback riding adventure. “I’m sure if you beg Uma, she’ll give in.” 

“Probably not! But hey, she gave me that unicorn plush I wanted from the festival! She found one and cleaned it all up for me, how sweet is that? She’s so thoughtful,” Audrey said, smiling as she spoke. “So I have to teach her how to horseback ride since she got it for me and went through all of that trouble. We’ll head for my home on Friday after class, and Saturday we can go riding and have a picnic! Oh Sherwood will be so beautiful with the changing Autumn colors.” 

“Wow, a romantic ride through the woods?” Lonnie said, directing this towards Zale. “That’ll be the perfect setting for your first kiss!!!!”

“He doesn’t know how to ride a horse, I doubt it’ll be super romantic,” Zale said, rolling his eyes. 

“I’ll make it super romantic, don’t you worry!” Audrey said, giving Zale an excited look.

\--

“I’m worried about what Audrey has planned this weekend,” Zale said, sitting next to Uma in the stands. After he mentioned to Coach Jenkins that he had a small cold, the older man refused to let him come to swim practice, in fact, he told him to take the rest of the week off from practice, which was a bit odd, but Zale didn’t argue with it.

Now he was sitting with Uma, watching the Sword and Shields team practice. 

“Ah, yeah, her plan to make it super romantic?” Uma questioned and Zale sighed, putting his face in his hands. “I heard about your sneezing fit from Harry. He sure was disappointed that he didn’t get to kiss you.” 

“I told him he shouldn’t have thrown me into the lake while I still had my clothes on,” Zale said, looking back at her. “He was disappointed? Really?”

“Oh please, Harry is obsessed with you, of course he was disappointed, and he couldn’t stop talking about how perfect you looked and how happy he was,” Uma said, sticking her tongue out at it. Zale smiled at that and Uma rolled her eyes at how utterly happy he looked to hear all of that. It was endearing, even if it was too sappy for her tastes. 

The meeting the past weekend sat in the back of her mind while Harry went on and on about the date to her at lunch. She didn’t want to see all of this ripped away from Harry, but she wasn’t sure what she could actually do. They fended off Ben for the time being, and Uma had been reassured by Mal after the meeting that Zale wouldn’t be sent away, but still. There was only so much that they could control.

Uma truly didn’t believe Zale would ever purposely harm anyone, especially not Harry, but something fishy was going on around the school, and she wanted to get down to the bottom of it. 

There were too many things that were happening that couldn’t be an accident, but she had no idea how to prove that they weren’t. 

“Everything okay?” Zale questioned, seeing Uma’s expression shift. “You look as worried as I always feel,” he joked, hoping to lift her mood. 

“There is just a lot going on,” Uma said, looking to Zale. “You’re smart, you know something is going on, don’t you?”

“...yeah,” Zale mumbled, sighing. Today had been totally fine, and that’s what made him worry. Things never went this well for him, and he wanted to just relax, just accept that everything was going to be okay, but the nagging feeling in the back of his mind kept him on edge. “If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ll get to stay in Auradon much longer,” he told her quietly. “I’m trying to stay optimistic about it, but it was just so weird the past few days. Everything is going too well, you know? I want to be hopeful, but it’s hard for me to be when I have these…..powers,” he looked down at his hands, unsure of the future. Yesterday had been so lovely, but he knew it couldn’t last for long. “Please, don’t tell Harry, I know it’ll upset him that I feel this way.” 

“Are you worried you’ll hurt someone?” Uma questioned and Zale sighed again, nodding his head. 

“I’ve always been a worrier, always been riddled with anxiety, even when I was young. When I’m with Harry, I feel more in control and not so anxious, so last night I felt great. I felt like maybe things were going to get better, but something is nagging at me. I don’t know what, but it’s like this gut instinct.” 

“I feel it too,” Uma admitted, putting her hands together. “Maybe if we put our heads together, we can figure this out, hopefully before you get sent away, if you get sent away, that is,” Uma added in. “I’ll be honest with you, and I know no one else wants to say this, or talk about it, but, I really don’t know how much longer you’ll get to stay here. Any incident, big or small, is enough to push Ben over the edge.” 

“Won’t say that doesn’t hurt, but, I appreciate you being honest with me. I can’t blame Ben, he has to look out for the kingdom. I do feel more confident in my abilities, last time I had more control over it than before, but it’s the before that bothers me. I could have hurt you and Harry if I hadn’t run off. There was this voice in my head, it felt like someone else was controlling me,” he admitted to her, causing her to raise her brows in surprise. “But, this weekend, it didn’t feel like that at all. I just wanted to be left alone, I had control.”

“Hm, that’s something to think about,” Uma muttered. “The incident with me and Harry, that happened after your meeting with Ben, right?”

“Yes, then I thought Harry betrayed me, which was stupid and irrational of me.”

“People tend to be stupid and irritational if someone else is controlling them,” Uma said and this time Zale shot her a confused expression. “I think you can control your powers, Zale. I don’t think you would purposely intend to hurt someone, but if someone else gained control over you, well…”

“Do you think someone actually had control over me?!” Zale whispered in a panicked tone. 

“Don’t get worked up, okay? I need you level headed,” Uma told him, frowning at this. “Look, all I’m saying is that a few people around here have been actin’ weird. Mostly Ben, which is not good. He’s been trying to get me to hand over my mother’s necklace, but I refuse. I finally had to stop wearing it and hide it in my room so he would stop bothering me about it. Plus, Mal has mentioned to me that he’s been acting strange. Try not to be alone with him, got it?”

“Okay, I can do that,” Zale said, trying to take in and process everything Uma was telling him. It would explain why he’s felt so unsettled around Ben lately, but he hoped it wasn’t true. 

“I’m going to see if I can find out how the water in the dunk tank got turned to salt water, or why it was filled with salt water in the first place. Too bad you’re sick, you could’ve asked your teammates about it.”

“It’s just a little cold, I don’t understand why I couldn’t practice this week. I can try to ask them about it next week? They don’t really talk to me but I don’t think they’ll ignore me if I ask,” Zale said. “So, for now, we just keep an eye out on Ben?”

“I think that’s all we can do. Now that he knows you have those powers, he’s going to be keeping an eye on you too.”

\--

“This is going to be so so fun!” Audrey exclaimed as the limo they were in pulled through her home’s gates. 

“I dunno ‘bout that,” Harry muttered, arms crossed, sitting next to Uma, with Zale on the other side of him. Audrey had been unable to sit still once they were an hour away from her kingdom. 

“Oh, relax,” Zale said, smiling at him. “Audrey’s kingdom is really lovely, and her family is kind as well.”

The rest of the week had gone without incident. Zale’s cold cleared up and no one saw Ben around, which brought comfort to Zale’s worries. He just wanted to enjoy this weekend and take it one day at a time. He had to keep a level head to keep his powers in check. 

“It will be great!” Audrey smiled at them as the limo came to a stop. “Come on, come on!” She told them and hurried to the door as the driver opened it for them. She pulled Uma out of the car, smiling the whole time, and Zale and Harry followed her. 

“Woah,” Uma mumbled, looking up at the castle. It was large, made of gray stones with spirals and towers high in the sky. Designs of roses and thorns were etched into the sides of the towers, and the roof was a soft pink. “Very fancy.” 

“I like yer castle better, Bubbles,” Harry said, not feeling the same warmth as he looked at the castle as he had with Zale’s. 

“It’s not a competition,” Zale said with a small smile as Audrey led them up the stairs, smiling at all the servants who were there to greet her when the front doors opened. “Her home is one of the oldest in Auradon, plus it isn’t right against the coast like mine is, so it has a different feel to it.” 

“It’s massive,” Uma said, feeling small in the large entrance, envious of how relaxed Zale was. Now she knew how Harry felt when Audrey had dragged him to Zale’s home. 

“My parents aren’t in town this weekend, such a bummer! My mom wanted to see you again!” Audrey said, directing this to Uma. “We’ll just have to come back another weekend then later on. I know it’s late now, so we should just head to our rooms and relax. We have to get up bright and early tomorrow!” 

“For horse back ridin’,” Harry muttered, shooting Uma a look. 

“Exactly! Uma, do you mind rooming with me? The guest wing is being renovated, my mother loves redecorating, so that area is a bit of a mess and we will not have anyone staying in those rooms. Zale, you and Harry can take the room you always stay in!” Audrey said and Zale nodded his head. 

“Oh, good. The guest wing creeps me out,” Zale said and Harry wanted to take his bag from one of the servants, feeling awkward that someone was carrying it for him, but he didn’t think that’d be a great idea. 

“I’ll go speak to Alice, she’s the top dog around here, and make sure all the preparations for tomorrow are good to go. Zale, you remember how to get to the rooms, right?” Audrey asked and Zale nodded his head again and began walking up a flight of stairs to the right. “Perfect! See you guys in a few!”

“I feel like everything in here is so breakable,” Uma said, following Zale closely as they went up the stairs. There were suits of armor and paintings everywhere, but not a speck of dust to be found on any of it. “And I feel like my voice carries.”

“It is a bit more stuffy here than yer home, Bubbles,” Harry said, also staying close to Zale’s side. He was relieved that Audrey’s parents weren’t around so he could be himself, but he missed the comfort of Zale’s home. 

“Things are always more comfortable by the coast, especially for the three of us,” Zale said, amused at how they were acting. It was odd for him to be the brave one, especially with Uma and Harry. “It’s okay, you two can relax. Everyone here is very kind. Alice can be a bit intimidating, though, she’s like Grisby. Here’s Audrey’s room,” Zale said, stopping at a pink door. 

“Of course,” Uma muttered, seeing the door. Zale opened it for her and nodded to the servants who brought in Uma and Audrey’s bags. Uma was too distracted with the huge chandelier in the middle of the room to notice Zale talking to the servants. It was huge! 

The whole room was huge, with its own balcony, vanity area, and Uma didn’t even want to know how huge the bathroom was. The bed was huge as well, which was good since they would be sharing it. 

“This place is way bigger than your room,” Harry said, looking around. There was a wall of photos that caught his attention, and he wandered over to it, eyes scanning it for familiar faces. 

“Wow, you two really have been friends for forever,” Uma said, joining Harry by the photo wall. She saw Zale in almost every picture. 

“Well, there used to be mostly just photos of her and Ben, but after the breakup, they changed a lot of the photos out. Now it seems, Chad and I have filled out a lot of these,” Zale said, standing behind them, looking at the photos. It made him a little sad that he and Chad were in a majority of the photos, Audrey really took a hit to her friendships after the summer.

“Hold up,” Uma said, pointing to a photo. “That’s me!” She exclaimed, looking at the photo that was of her and Audrey at Family Day. “How did they get that up so fast?” She continued to look, seeing other photos of herself, along with Harry, that Audrey had taken over the past month or so. 

“She sends a lot of photos to her mom, so she probably got them developed and hung up for a nice surprise whenever Audrey visited home again,” Zale said, smiling at that. “You two are some of her closest friends now.”

“Awah, that’s sweet,” Harry said, seeing a photo of the four of them together at Family Day. He didn’t have any photos of friends, that wasn’t something that was done on the Isle, but he really liked it. It made him feel like maybe he did belong around Audrey and Zale. 

  
  


“I’m sure she’ll get you a copy of any of these photos if you ask her,” Zale said once they were done looking at all the photos. “Oh yeah, I’ll show you to our room.”

“There is no way it’s this grand, is it?” Harry asked with a chuckle as Zale led them out of the room to a room a little ways down the hall.

“No where near. This was just the nanny’s room that they turned into another guest room for whenever Ben, Chad, or I spent the night when we got too old to share a room with Audrey,” Zale replied and opened the door, letting Harry in first.

It was still big, but of course, no where close to princess standards. Harry looked around and realized there was only one bed. It wasn’t a small bed, so space wasn’t an issue, but, they were dating now, and Harry wasn’t sure how Zale felt about that.

“One bed?” Harry questioned and Zale’s expression turned to one of worry.

“Is that okay? I promise I don’t kick or anything,” Zale said. “I’m sure if we asked, we could get a cot brought in, or we could put pillow down the center like a divide, or maybe you could lay opposite of me, so our heads are on opposite ends on the bed, or-”

“Bubbles, if it’s fine with you, it’s okay with me, I just…...didn’t know since…..ya know,” Harry trailed off and Zale looked lost until a moment later when it clicked. “Yeah, I don’t mind a bit sharin’ a bed with ya, I just don’t wanna make ya uncomfortable.”

“Oh! No, no it’s fine with me! I didn’t even consider that it might be odd but it’s just us sharing a bed. Audrey and I used to do it all the time when we were kids so,” Zale said, picking up his bag and moving it to the other side of the bed. “Is it weird? Should I be uncomfortable sharing a bed with you, since you're my boyfriend? Or should I not? Is it weird since we just started dating? But we were best friends before and still are so it shouldn’t be that weir-”

“Bubbles,” Harry said, cutting off Zale’s ramblings with a small chuckle. “I just didn’t wanna make ya uncomfortable, but I ain’t see nothin’ odd if we share a bed.”

“Okay, good, me too,” Zale said, letting out a sigh of a relief.

“You always goin’ be so nervous with everythin’ now that we’re datin’?” Harry asked, coming over to the other side of the bed, amused with Zale. “Or ya just gotta get used to it?”

“It’s not a huge change, you know? We still act the same. It’s like we’ve been dating this whole time almost, so I guess I forget that we’re actually dating now so some things might be different,” Zale replied, hoping it made sense. “Like sharing a bed when we were friends would be fine, but now that we’re boyfriends it’s more……..you know? But I still don’t think it’s a big deal.” 

“Then it ain’t a big deal,” Harry said, sitting on the bed so he could take off his boots. “It’s our relationship, so, ain’t gotta follow society’s guidelines.”

“You’re right,” Zale said, taking a seat on the bed as well. 

\--

“I wonder if they’re asleep?” Audrey questioned later that night, wrapped up tightly in a blanket, sitting up against her headboard while Uma laid beside her, ready to drift off. “Hey hey, this is a good part of the movie, don’t fall asleep.”

“If it’s a good part, then why are you talking through it?” Uma questioned, looking up at Audrey who merely ignored Uma’s point. “They probably are. Harry looked exhausted earlier, so once he showered he probably passed out. He falls asleep easily. I assume Zale is asleep too, he seems like the early to bed, early to rise type of person.” 

“It depends, sometimes it takes him a long time to fall asleep, and sometimes he has nightmares that keep him up all night.”

“Huh, Harry has nightmares too,” Uma said, yawning. “When we first came to Auradon, he had them a lot. Once he got used to living here and not being on the Isle or near his dad, it got better. I think being in foreign places stresses him out, but he told me he slept hard at Zale’s place, so I guess he was comfortable there.” 

“It might have been because it’s so close to the ocean? Reminds him of the Isle?”

“The Isle wouldn’t produce a great night’s sleep,” Uma said, barely watching the movie that was on the tv in front of them. “Kind of obvious, but the Isle wasn’t a great place. Not like it matters anymore now that we’re here.”

“Yes, and here to stay!” Audrey said with a smile, patting Uma’s knees through the blanket. “If Ben had just picked you and Harry and Gil and Celica to come over first, I would’ve been far more aboard with the idea. Everything would’ve been so different!”

“Maybe. I doubt we would’ve caused the same trouble as the others did, but, we could’ve done worse,” Uma said, looking back to the tv. “I wouldn’t have been as worried as what my mother would think like the others. They’re all trapped on that Isle for forever, hopefully, so I would’ve done what I wanted to do.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Audrey asked, looking at Uma still, movie forgotten. 

“Uhm,” Uma said, caught off by the question. “I want to travel some more, and maybe go to college, or get a job helping other kids off the Isle. I feel like there is a lot I don’t know still, so I’m not really sure what I want to do. I know Gil already made plans to go travel Auradon with Jay, and that sounds interesting. It’s hard to decide what I want to do, when I don’t know all my options.”

“I understand. I think I’m going to take a semester off, then go to college! Obviously I’m going to be a ruler one day, but not anytime soon, so I am going to try exploring my options. You can always come be my roommate at college! Oh! How fun! Zale wants to go to college too, maybe we can all go together? What about Harry?”

“Don’t get too excited,” Uma said, trying not to dash Audrey’s dreams, but still wanted to keep it realistic. “I don’t know, actually. He loves biology class, so maybe he’ll decide to do something with that.” 

“He could be a marine biologist!” Audrey said, thoughts racing through her head but then paused when she heard a shout. Her and Uma both looked at each other before getting out of bed and hurrying out into the hallway, where they heard noise coming from Harry and Zale’s room. “Is someone having a nightmare?” Audrey whispered as they hurried to the cracked door, both peering in to see Zale sitting up with a hand on Harry’s shoulder. Uma made a move to head into the room, but Audrey held her back. “Wait a second.”

“Hey, Harry, Harry,” Zale said, pulling the male out of his nightmare. “Hey, you’re awake. It’s not real, it’s okay.”

“B-but, you, they-” Harry said, breathing heavy as he looked around the room, looking panicked and wide eyed. 

“You’re awake now, it’s okay,” Zale said in a calm tone, rubbing Harry’s back. “I can pinch you if you want,” and Harry turned to give him an exhausted look that made Zale smile weakly. “Just checking, sometimes it’s hard to get out of nightmares. Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Nah, but I don’t think I’m goin be able to sleep again,” Harry groaned and laid back on the bed, looking up at Zale with pitiful eyes. 

“I could sing you the song my mom always sang to me when I had nightmares, if you want,” Zale said, leaning back against his pillows, but still turned towards Harry.

“I been beggin’ for ya to sing to me and all it took was for me to have a nightmare?” Harry questioned and Zale rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Just close your eyes,” he said and Harry looked at him for a moment before doing what he was told, closing his eyes and resting against his pillows. 

“Okay, okay, Bubbles, me eyes closed.”

_ “Oh, the waves roll low, and the waves roll high, and so it goes, under a bright blue endless sky.” _

Uma watched as Harry’s breathing slow and the tension slipped out of his body. 

“Oi, Bubbles, ya sound so pretty,” he said with a yawn. 

“Oh shush,” Zale mumbled, then continued his song as Harry drifted back to sleep.  _ “Waves try to measure, the days that we treasure, wave hello, and wave goodbye.” _

Uma and Audrey slowly backed away from the door and hurried back to Audrey’s room, shutting the door before daring to speak. 

“I can’t believe Zale was able to do that so easily,” Uma said, feeling a little sleepy herself. “I didn’t think he could sing like that either.”

“I think Zale just has a very calming presence,” Audrey said, getting back into bed with a yawn. “His mother’s side is very into music, from what I’ve heard.” 

“Guess that makes sense,” Uma mumbled, getting under the covers. Her eyes felt so heavy now, and it was like all the tension in her body had slipped away. “Guess they really are great for each other.”

“Told you.” 

\--

“This is humiliating,” Uma muttered, looking over at Harry from the back of Audrey’s horse. She was seated behind Audrey, who was controlling her horse with a bright smile, thoroughly enjoying herself. Harry was seated behind Zale on their horse, with one arm around the male’s waist in an effort not to fall off of the horse. 

“I offered to let you sit in the front, but then I’d have to let you take hold of the reins, or reach around you,” Audrey said and giggled when the horse sped up a little and Uma put an arm around her waist tightly. “It’s okay! Darling is very gentle, aren’t you girl?” Audrey asked, petting the horse’s neck.

“Not like anyone is goin’ make fun of ya,” Harry said, enjoying himself a bit more than he thought he would. Normally, he liked to be in control of the situation, but he didn’t mind being pressed against Zale’s back as they moved through the forest. The trees were golds and reds, with scattered leaves along the path they were following. The air was cool, but not too cold, and Zale’s small laugh made Harry smile against his back. 

“We’re pretty secluded out here, minus the few guards,” Zale said, glancing back to the guards that were a ways behind them and the guards that were ahead of them. “I think you’re doing really good, Uma.”

“Don’t pity me,” she told him, keeping her arm around Audrey and Zale gave her a knowing look before looking forward again. 

“You haven’t fallen off once, so you are doing well!” Audrey said and smiled back at Uma.

“Keep your eyes forward, please, and drive the horse,” Uma said and Audrey rolled her eyes at that. 

“Darling and I have walked and raced this path many, many times before. She knows exactly where we’re going,” Audrey said, but turned back forward. “Uma, relax! I know it’s your first time on a horse, but Darling is the most mild tempered horse in the world, and I won’t let anything happen to you, neither would Zale and Harry.” 

“Not like Harry can do anything when he’s all wrapped around Zale,” Uma said and Harry shot her a look, rolling his eyes. 

“I ain’t wrapped ‘round Bubbles, and besides, we’re a couple, so nyeh,” he said, sticking out his tongue at her. “She’s just jealous, Bubbles, don’t let it get to ya.”

“I won’t,” Zale said with another small laugh, glancing back at Harry. “We’re almost to the picnic spot, if that brings you any relief, Uma.” Zale said as they came over a hill to a clearing where the guards ahead of them had gotten off their horses and were standing by. 

“Thank goodness,” Uma said as Audrey led her horse over to an open spot and dismounted. Uma looked down at the ground and Audrey held out her hand, helping her down. Zale led his horse over to them and slid off with ease and Harry followed, legs feeling wobbly now. 

“It takes a little getting used to,” Zale said, seeing how Harry stumbled a bit. 

“This is so fun, and so relaxing!” Audrey said as she headed over to the large blanket that was spread out for them. There were a few servants that had set up a small table to the side and looked to be preparing their lunch. “The woods are so beautiful in the Fall.”

“I didn’t know trees changed colors,” Harry said, plopping down on the blanket ungracefully and Zale joined him. 

“Oh, yeah, you guys didn’t really have changing seasons on the Isle, did you?” Zale asked and both Uma and Harry shook their heads. 

“We know what the seasons are, we just never got to experience them before,” Uma said, taking a seat as Audrey pulled her down. “I thought they were kidding when they said the leaves changed colors.”

“Just wait until you see snow!” Audrey said as a maid brought them drinks and set down a plate of small sandwiches for them to eat. “It’s so, so beautiful!”

“It’s horribly cold,” Zale said, taking a sandwich off the tray. “It gets mushy and muddy too.”

“Ya paintin’ such a beautiful picture for me, Bubbles,” Harry said sarcastically. 

“Zale just doesn’t like snow because he can’t swim when it’s cold out,” Audrey said and sipped her drink, relaxing under the large oak tree they were by. 

“It does ice over the lake sometimes,” Zale sighed with a frown. “Snow is fun for a little bit, but then it just gets in the way.” 

“It is magical and beautiful,” Audrey said, countering Zale. “Plus, the winter fashion is so chic and cute! Scarves, big coats, cute boots, adorable mittens! The list goes on and on. I am fully prepared to blow everyone away with my winter wear.”

“And I will wear the same coat, scarf, beanie, and mittens, every single day,” Zale told Uma and Harry, making Audrey pout. “I do better in Spring and Summer, you can take over Fall and Winter wear,” he continued and then finished up the tiny sandwich.

They continued to talk while they ate, enjoying the woods and the peace that they didn’t normally get while at school. 

“Do you want to try?” Audrey questioned once they were done eating and decided to go for a ride. “Here, you sit up front, and I’ll teach you how to guide her,” Audrey said and Uma protested, but Audrey got her way, and Uma was up in the saddle, looking terrified at Harry, who was still on the ground. 

“Uma, it’ll be alright. Audrey’s got ya,” he told her as Audrey climbed up and helped Uma hold the reins correctly, her hands over Uma’s. “Have fun,” he said with a smirk and Uma glared at him as Darling moved slowly, almost as if she could sense Uma’s fear. Audrey smile at Zale and didn’t wait for either of the boys as they rode off. 

“Do you want to try?” Zale questioned and Harry shook his head. “Alright, I won’t push you,” Zale climbed up into the saddle, and pulled Harry up, letting him get comfortable as Audrey and Uma disappeared down a path. “How flustered do you think Uma is right now?”

“Oh, mate, she’s so outta her element,” Harry laughed, putting one arm around Zale again and resting his head on his upper back. “She’s used to being in charge and in control, but now she has Audrey holding her hands and guiding her. She’ll be fine though, ain’t like she isn’t enjoyin’ herself.”

“I think Audrey is enjoying herself as well,” Zale’s horse began down the same path that Uma and Audrey took, though the girls weren’t in sight. “I think I gave them enough time to get ahead of us.”

“Playin’ matchmaker now?” Harry questioned and relaxed against Zale. 

“Just returning Audrey’s favor,” Zale said, feeling Harry relax against him. “I take it you're feeling better now? The nightmare isn’t bothering you anymore?”

“Yeah, I’m all good now, Bubbles. Thanks for last night,” Harry said and Zale just shrugged. 

“Of course, I couldn’t just let you suffer,” Zale replied, seeing Audrey and Uma in the distance as they came over a small hill. 

“And you sang to me,” Harry smirked, seeing the tips of Zale’s ears get red. “Bubbles, ya voice is like a siren call, ya know that? Lulled me right to sleep so easily. It was like I never had a nightmare in the first place.”

“Well, I’m glad it helped. My grandmother used to sing it to my mom and her sisters before she passed,” Zale said, keeping his eyes on the path ahead of them. “I wouldn’t say my voice is like a siren call.”

“Oi, that’s cuz you’re you, you don’t hear how you sound,” Harry said and put his chin atop Zale’s shoulder. He almost felt like they were underwater, away and secluded from the rest of the world. Everything was so peaceful and relaxing here. “Why have you been tryin’ to hide it?”

“I don’t like attention being on me, for one, so,” Zale answered, glancing at Harry from the corner of his eye. “My whole existence at Auradon Prep was supposed to be under the radar, and singing wouldn’t help me lay low. It doesn’t really matter now that everyone knows, but I don’t have any desire to share my singing ‘talents’ with the world.”

“I get it,” Harry said, putting his other arm around Zale’s waist. “I hope ya don’t mind continuing to share ya singin’ talent with me, though. I wouldn’t mind a performance every now and then when I can’t sleep.”

“I could do that,” Zale said quietly and Harry smiled, resting his head against Zale’s back again, feeling so happy it felt like he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t think he had ever been this happy before. 

\--

Zale emptied his suitcase, putting all of the dirty clothes in the hamper Sunday evening. They were all back at school and Zale wished they had gotten to stay longer. It had been so nice to be away from everything and just spend time with Harry without worrying about peering eyes around them. 

He sighed as the door to his room opened and Ben entered. Zale froze, forgetting he hadn’t locked the door. 

“Hey, Zale! Glad to see your back,” Ben said, smiling at him. “How were the Woods? They are beautiful this time of year.”

“Oh, yes, beautiful,” Zale said as Ben came further into his room. Zale focused on emptying his suitcase, trying not to panic. It was just an assumption that Ben might be under the spell, or influence, or whatever, of some evil being. He and Uma had no proof, at least nothing concrete, so Zale shouldn’t be panicked. He just needed to keep his guard up. “Uma learned how to ride a horse, so there’s that.”

“I ran into Audrey on my way here and she told me all about it. Said it was some exchange for Uma getting her a stuffed animal?” Ben questioned with a soft chuckle. “I’m guessing you taught Harry how to ride? Seems fair for all of the stuffed animals he won you at Family Day,” Ben said, over by Zale’s bed. 

“He wasn’t interested,” Zale said glancing back at Ben, relaxing a little. Ben seemed more normal, maybe everything was okay now? “He preferred to just let me do all the work while he just relaxed.” Zale turned his attention back to suitcase.

“Mal wasn’t very interested in learning how to ride either,” Ben said. “I heard about Harry climbing up to your window last weekend. It’s good to see that you two are getting along so well. He really cares about you,” Zale felt the hairs on his neck stand as a chill swept over him. Did he feel a cold breeze, or was it just what Ben said that caused him to worry? “I’m glad he and the others are adjusting so well and making friends.”

“Yes, we are very close friends,” Zale said, turning around as Ben came back over to him. 

“Well, I’ll be off. Sorry for just dropping by, but it’s been awhile since we chatted and I was in the area. I’ll see you later,” Ben said, smiling at Zale before leaving the room. Zale hurried and locked the door, feeling his heart beating against his chest. 

He grabbed his phone and searched for Uma’s number to send her a message. 

_ “Ben just dropped by to chat with me. He seemed normal? But I think he suspects something between Harry and I. It was weird.” _

He sent the message and set the phone on his coffee table before continuing to unpack and get everything back into place before bed. He felt another chill and turned up the thermostat before changing into his pjs. 

Why was it so cold in here?

He grabbed his phone and plugged it in, setting it on his nightstand before getting into bed. He huddled up under his blankets, feeling exhausted. He yawned and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep. 

He didn’t know how long he had been asleep when he heard a creak in his room. He barely opened his eyes and saw a shadow figure race towards him. He attempted to scream but his mouth was covered by what he didn’t know, but it felt cold and whatever it was there were multiples of it as it wrapped around his eyes and around his wrists and ankles. 

He struggled as it loosened its hold around his mouth and a bottle was pressed against his lips. 

“Come on now, drink up,” a woman’s voice said and he pressed his lips together and struggled, trying to break free of her hold. His phone was so close to him! If he could just grab it and call someone, anyone, he’d be saved! 

His nose was pinched and he choked as the bottle pressed harder against his lips. He had no clue what she was trying to make him drink, but he didn’t want it. He could feel his lungs burn for air and he gasped, sucking in air as a bitter liquid burned it’s way down his throat. It felt never ending and he choked and gagged until it was all gone. He felt the holds on him loosen and when he opened his eyes, his vision was blurry, barely seeing the shadow figure exit out his window. 

He attempted to reach for his phone, but his world spun and he fell to the floor in a tangle of blankets. He struggled, trying to find the way out of the blankets, keeping his eyes closed to fight off the nausea that was over taking him. 

He felt like before, but it was so much worse. What was happening to him? What did he drink? Who was that in his room?!

He managed to sit up and he grabbed his phone, yanking it off the charging before his vision went black and he passed out on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone has a great holiday season! Consider this my gift to you! I hope you enjoy it even though I added it on a cliffhanger.


	23. Chapter 23

“Ahoy, Bubbles,” Harry said with a yawn, knocking on his boyfriend’s door the next morning. He had messaged the redhead to let him know they could go get breakfast together, but he had never got a response. 

“He must have been exhausted yesterday,” Uma said from beside Harry, only here because of Zale’s text to her last night. Since returning, she had an uneasy feeling, and she wanted to check on Zale for everyone’s safety. 

“Bubbles?” Harry knocked again, then tried the door, sighing when it was locked. “I hope he ain’t goin’ be made at me,” Harry muttered, pulling a small lock picking kit out of his jacket’s inner pocket.

“You still carry that thing around?”

“You ain’t ever know when you’ll need it,” Harry told her as Jane approached them in the hall, eyes narrowing at Harry. 

“What are you doing?!” She questioned.

“Zale ain’t comin’ to the door or answering our texts,” he replied, working his magic on the door. Jane sighed, looking to be exhausted by this already. “He’s me boyfriend, I’m worried.” 

“He does have good intentions, even if they don’t look it,” Uma said, defending Harry. He got the door unlocked and peeked his head in.

“Bubbles?” Harry questioned, not seeing Zale anywhere. It was cold in the room, but, that was probably because the window by his bed was left a little open and wind was blowing through, making the curtains flutter a bit. He entered the room and Uma and Jane looked in, not seeing him anywhere. “Did he go get breakfast without me?”

“I didn’t see him down there, and I doubt he would do that and not tell you,” Jane said, not sure where her best friend would be right now. 

“Looks like he left in some kind of hurry,” Uma said, entering the room and seeing a mess of blankets on the floor. She froze when she saw movement. “Did those blankets just move?” She questioned and Harry quietly stepped over the pile of blankets and used his hook to lift one, seeing red hair.

“Bubbles?!” Harry knelt down and pulled off the blankets, seeing Zale looking up at him with confusion.

“Harry?” Zale squinted, the light hurting his eyes. The aches in his body stopped as Harry pulled him up against his chest. “What time is it?”

“It’s eight in the mornin’, what happened to ya?” Harry asked, concerned. 

“Did you have a nightmare?” Jane questioned, trying to figure out how Zale ended up on the floor. He looked dazed, and like he wasn’t understanding what they were saying to him. 

“I guess?” Zale questioned, still confused. “I don’t….I don’t remember anything though. I went to bed last night on my bed, but, now I’m here.”

Uma saw Zale’s phone on the floor and the dazed look on his face and suspected foul play. Something wasn’t right about any of this.

“Do ya need to rest?” Harry asked and Zale shook his head and made a move to get up. Harry helped him up and Zale paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

“Sorry I worried all of you,” he apologized, feeling guilty now. He felt disgusting, inside and out, but he didn’t know why. “I think once I shower and eat some breakfast I’ll be okay.” 

“Yeah, go take a shower Bubbles, I’ll wait for ya and make sure you get to breakfast and class okay,” Harry said as Uma narrowed her eyes. Harry gave her a confused expression, but she shook her head.

They’d talk about it later.

\--

“So you don’t remember anything about last night?” Uma questioned Zale later on at lunch. He looked to be doing better, but he was still a little sluggish. If Ben had been around him, alone, they could all be in danger. 

“I unpacked my suitcase and Ben came and talked to me for a few minutes. Then it got really cold, but, I don’t know why. I had all my windows shut and the curtains down. Maybe I just had a fever dream?” He questioned, trying to figure out what had happened to him. 

“Ben didn’t give you anything or touch you, did he?” Uma questioned, seeing Audrey and Harry approaching the table and she knew her time investigating was up. 

“No, I made sure to be careful,” Zale replied and felt sick again and put his head on the table, groaning. What was happening to him?

“Oi, Bubbles, ya okay?” Harry asked, sitting next to him.

“Yeah, I’m okay!” Zale said, sitting up straight. He felt like he was in some weird haze that he couldn’t break free from. The only time things were even slightly clear was when Harry was around him. He couldn’t figure out why and it was causing him to stress himself out. 

He had to hold back and push down all of his feelings. He was too scared they would come racing out of him in the form of a storm or a gust of wind or hail. Just sitting at the table and trying to have a normal conversation was difficult for him but when Harry’s knee brushed against his, or Harry patted him on the shoulder, it was like he could take a breath, that nothing bad would happen. 

The moments were fleeting, though.

He forced himself to smile and move through his day, praying that after practice he could go lay down and sleep off this sickness, this disgusting feeling that was coating his insides. He couldn’t concrete in class and the littlest things made him feel irritated. 

Zale didn’t have a temper. He never had a temper. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jane asked him after biology and something in him felt like it was snapping.

_ “Tell her to mind her own business” _

Zale bit his tongue, keeping himself from opening his mouth. What was that voice doing back? 

“Zale?” Jane questioned and the voice came back louder.

“I need to get to practice!” He exclaimed before hurrying off, scared of saying something he would regret. What was that voice? Who was it? Was he being controlled? But how? He didn’t even get close to Ben yesterday! 

What was he going to do if he was being controlled? What if he hurt someone? How could he get control of himself back?!

He pushed the doors to the pool open and headed to the locker room when his coach called out to him.

“Hey, Zale, c’mere for a second,” he said and headed towards his office. Zale looked at his team mates before hurrying after his coach. He took a seat in his office and his coach sat across from him and sighed. “Zale….look, when the student body first found out who your mother was, a lot of the team wanted you to be off the swim team. They were worried you were somehow cheating, but I told them no. Now, though...after the Family Day incident…”

“What?” Zale questioned, staring at him. 

“I’m sorry Zale, but I have a lot of angry students and parents. I know you aren’t cheating, I know you hold yourself back during tournaments, but…..they’re calling for you to be kicked off the team, or Auradon Prep can no longer participate in future tournaments.”

“I…..wait...what?” Zale questioned, mind unable to wrap around what was being said to him.

“You’re off the team, Zale. I’m sorry…” his coach mumbled and Zale stared at the ground.

_ “You can’t let them get away with this. Make them pay for their ignorance.” _

Zale heard thunder crashing over head and his hands shook as he reached for his backpack and stood. It would be so easy to do. He could send all the water in the pool straight through the ceiling and destroy-

What was he thinking!?

_ “You’re thinking correctly, Zale, don’t let them just push you to the side again.” _

“No, no,” he mumbled to himself and ran out of the office and past his former teammates, who stared at him as he passed them to get to the door.

_ “Just pull them into the water, you could make it one big whirlpool!” _

He hesitated at the door and looked back at them before he shook his head and left the gym, leaning back against the door, taking deep breaths. Why was he considering doing any of that? That wasn’t him, he didn’t hurt people!

_ “But you will.” _

He had to find Harry. Harry would fix this. Harry would make everything better. 

_ “That boy doesn’t care about you! Don’t go looking for him!” _

“Shut up,” Zale muttered to himself and hurried down the hallway, feeling tears roll down his cheek. First he had some horrible force controlling him, and now he was kicked off the swim team? This was so unfair! It wasn’t his fault he had fins. He did nothing wrong, so why were all these horrible things happening to him?

“ _ Because you don’t belong here. You never did.” _

He rubbed his eyes, trying to think clearly so he could figure out where Harry could be. There was another crash of thunder and Zale took a shaky breath. He had to stay calm, he HAD to stay calm. He couldn’t let whatever was wrong with him get the best of him right now. He had to block out the voice and fight through whatever this was. 

Harry didn’t have practice today, so he had to be with Uma or Gil, somewhere on campus. He headed towards Harry’s room first, keeping his head down as he passed other students in the hallway until he got to his door. He knocked and felt relieved when the door opened.

“Oh, hey Zale!” Gil greeted him with a smile. “Ya just missed Harry! Oh, hey, is everything okay? You look like you’ve been crying!”

“Just missed him, huh?” Zale sighed, wishing Gil would lower his voice. “Could you tell me where he went?” 

“Uh….I think he was heading to meet with Uma? Want me to call him for you?” Gil offered and Zale shook his head. 

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll go find him, thank you, Gil,” Zale said quickly and left. He pulled out his phone and saw that it was dead. Of course, he forgot to plug it in last night! He had fallen asleep with it next to him, that’s why it was on the floor with him this morning, at least, that’s what he assumed. Last night was so blurry, he didn’t even remember getting into bed and going to sleep.

He sighed and put the phone back in his pocket, hurrying down the hallway to hopefully find Harry. 

If something was controlling him, or at least attempting to control him, why didn’t it want him to find Harry? Why was it trying to tell him that Harry didn’t care about him? The voice was oddly quiet now, but Zale’s insides still churned and he struggled to hold back his tears. He couldn’t let his emotions out, because if he did, he could hurt people. It was already thundering and storming, he didn’t need to make it any worse. 

Zale rounded a corner and saw Harry and felt relief flood through him when Harry turned to look at him. His blue eyes lit up at the sight of Zale and he smiled widely and Zale felt like he was going to melt, but instead he started crying and Harry’s smile disappeared and turned into one of worry as he hurried over to Zale.

“Bubbles?! What’s wrong?” Harry asked and Zale clung to him, wrapping his arms around him tightly and pressing his face against his chest. Everything felt better and he really didn’t care if other students saw him having this mini breakdown in the hallway. “Zale, hey, what happened?” 

“I got k-kicked off the swim team,” Zale cried, muffled against Harry’s chest. “They think I’m a cheater and they kicked me off the team!”

“Woah, what?” Harry questioned, not noticing Uma opening her bedroom door, confusion all over her face.

“What’s going on?” She questioned when she saw Zale crying. She glared at the students in the hall, scaring them off, before motioning for Harry to come into her room. It took him a minute but he pulled Zale with him into her room and she shut the door. 

“They kicked you off the swim team?” Harry questioned once the door was shut. Zale nodded his head, unable to stop crying as another crash of thunder was heard overhead. 

“Coach s-said that they wouldn’t be a-able to compete because of me,” Zale said and felt Harry pat his head, trying to comfort him. 

“What!?” Harry said, pulling away from Zale to look at him. “That’s not fair! Ya don’t cheat!”

“I know that, and coach knows that…..but he had to kick me off,” Zale said, feeling like he was going to start crying again. He felt so muddled and he couldn’t tell what thoughts were actually his, or someone else’s. “I’m sorry, I just was so upset.”

“Why are ya apologizin’?” Harry asked, hugging him again. “You’re supposed to come to me when ya ain’t feelin’ good! That’s what boyfriends do! I’ll go beat up the entire swim team for ya too if ya want!” 

Zale sniffed and relaxed against Harry, feeling himself begin to calm down. He took a few more minutes before letting out a big sigh and pushing away gently from Harry. “I feel better, sorry for just appearing out of no where and crying all over you like that.”

“Oi! I told ya, that’s what I’m here for,” Harry told him, putting his hands on Zale’s shoulders. “You can always come cryin’ to me, anytime, anywhere. Now, is there anythin’ else botherin’ ya? Cuz ya ain’t lookin’ too good.”

“Uh, well…” Zale mumbled as Harry took his hands off of his shoulders.

He didn’t want to tell Harry about the voice and the thoughts he was having. What if he didn’t want Zale anymore because of it? What if Zale wasn’t being controlled, and this was just who he was destined to be? 

_ “This is who you are meant to be.” _

Zale tensed up and stared at the ground, taking deep breaths. 

“Zale, what happened last night?” Uma asked, catching his attention. She stood with her tense shoulders, and eyed him with worry. “Because something is wrong with you.”

“Uma?” Harry questioned, eyebrows raised at what she said. 

_ “They won’t understand. They’ll abandon you.” _

“I...I don’t know…” Zale said and looked at his hands that were shaking. He had to tell them. He was a danger to everyone right now and he knew Harry wouldn’t leave him over this. He hoped, anyway. “There’s this voice telling me to do these awful things and I’m trying so hard to ignore it but it gets so loud. I feel like I’m losing control of myself.”

“A voice?” Harry questioned and Zale nodded his head. “It’s okay, we’ll figure somethin’ out, right Uma?” Harry questioned, putting his hands back on Zale’s shoulders. “We got you, Bubbles, we won’t let anythin’ bad happen to ya!” Harry said, looking to Zale with a small smile on his face and Zale felt the tears forming in his eyes again.

“But what about you two? What if I hurt you!?” Zale questioned and Uma hurried to her dresser and began digging through the drawers.

“I can fix this! I just need my locket and I can break whatever curse or spell is on you I bet,” she said and Zale watched her, worried as she became more frantic in her search. “Where is it!?”

“It’s gone?” Harry questioned, smiling dropping from his face. 

“How would anyone know that it was here? When would they even get a chance to go through here?” Uma asked herself, going through her drawers again. “This reeks of my mother, but I just don’t know how. Zale, are you sure you don’t remember anything about last night?” She asked, turning to look at him. 

“Ben came, it got cold, Ben left, and I went to bed,” Zale said, trying to remember anything that would help. “And no one can get into my room when my door is locked, well, except Fairy God Mother, or Harry with his lock pick kit, but my door is pretty loud, it would’ve woken someone up.” 

“Not if they went through the window,” Uma said, the realization hitting her. “Your window was open this morning, I saw it, but you told me it was closed. Did Ben walk by it?”

“He went by my bed to talk about all the stuffed animals Harry won for me, I was unpacking my suitcase at the time,” Zale explained, starting to feel dizzy.

“He must have unlocked and cracked your window….he’s in on this, I knew it! That’s why you were on the floor with your phone next to you. You were trying to call for help!”

“Who do you think did it?” Harry asked, looking between Zale and Uma. “Mal?”

“No, Mal wouldn’t. She’s been on my side about a lot of things lately,” Uma told them. “He must have gotten someone to get into my room at some point and snatch my mother’s necklace. This is not good. This is not good at all,” Uma frowned and walked towards them. “If my mother has control over Ben, that’s bad, but if she also has control over you, Zale, that’s worse. Ben can just turn into a beast, and his rulings can be overthrown by his parents or the Nobel Court or Faiy Godmother if they’re too outrageous, but you….we don’t know the limits of your powers. I just don’t know what she’s trying to gain here…”

“U-ursula could be controlling me!?” Zale questioned, panicking now. 

“She doesn’t have complete control over you, at least not yet, I think,” Uma said, trying to calm him down. “Even Ben breaks through her spell. I’ve been keeping track of how he behaves along with what Mal tells me. The power isn’t all controlling, it’s more through persuasion and suggestion. Ben just...gives in more than you do.”

“So I just need to stay calm and not listen to the voice? Okay, sure, easy,” Zale said, voice going up a pitch as he said this. “What about my parents?! We have to tell someone.”

“Who would believe us?” Harry asked, groaning at this. “Because ya know, we ain’t got no evidence other than the missin’ locket.”

“I know,” Uma sighed, looking at the two of them. “We might have to figure this out on our own. Well, we can get some help from Audrey and Jane. I might try to talk to Mal about this. If we could convince her, it would help us a lot. I don’t understand what my mother plans to do. Why have that influence over Ben and not do anything with it? All she’s seemed to do is make you known to the public, if Ben was influenced during the Round Table meeting to call you out like that. I can’t even pin her to Family Day. I had my locket then, so it wasn’t her.”

“Then how is she getting influence over Ben and Zale? And who knows who else?” Harry asked, starting to get antsy. How were they going to get out of this mess?

“Potions were my mother’s speciality, so if I had to guess...poison, which means she most likely is behind the pollution. It might have been her first attempt to gain some control here,” Uma said and Zale stared at her. “Someone must’ve climbed into your room last night and poisoned you.”

“I’ve been poisoned?” Zale questioned, eyes going wide. “That’s why I feel so disgusting? It’s just like before, when I got so upset with you,” he looked to Harry as he said this. “But the sickness went away then? So maybe...this will go away?”

“Unless she somehow keeps poisoning you, it should go away,” Uma said, causing Harry to sigh in relief. “I just want to know why she’s doing this. What is she gaining?”

“Chaos in Auradon?” Harry questioned, not sure what else she could want that she didn’t already have. The locket had to have been taken this weekend while they were away, and nothing horrible had happened since then, except for Zale’s poisoning. “We just gotta keep an eye on you, Bubbles.”

“Do we have any idea on how long I’ll be poisoned? Is there no cure?” He asked, worried. “I’m just scared. I feel worse than last time, so I think the poison is stronger, or it was a larger amount this time. What if I can’t control myself? What if I hurt someone?”

“You won’t!” Harry exclaimed and Zale looked to the ground. 

“You keep telling me that but I have a hard time believing you,” he mumbled, not wanting to look up. “My powers are barely controllable when I’m not poisoned, and I am getting so angry so quickly now.”

“I ain’t goin’ let this get ya,” Harry said, grabbing Zale’s hands and pulling Zale closer to him. “Ya already goin’ against it by tellin’ us ‘bout it. Yer stronger than ya think you are, Zale.” 

“It’s only because you’re here,” Zale said, looking at Harry. “Whenever I’m touching you it’s like she can’t do anything to me. That sounds weird but that’s why I was so hellbent on finding you earlier. If I hadn’t, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” 

“Hm, maybe you do have some magical ability like Jane said in the meeting with everyone a few weekends ago,” Uma said, looking at Harry, who felt his cheeks getting hot. “I don’t see the poison lasting longer than a few days. Maybe we can just play that you’re sick? It’ll keep you in your room and away from classes or any incidents that could cause trouble for us.”

“That might work,” Harry said as there was a knock on the door. They all turned to look at the door, frozen in place. “What if it’s Ben? What if ya ma sent him here?” Harry asked, putting an arm around Zale and pulling him against him protectively. 

Uma made a move to the door and opened it just a crack, sighing when she saw Jane and Audrey there. She opened the door more and both hurried in and Harry loosened his grip on Zale.

“Hey! Mom told me about the swim team,” Jane said, seeing Zale’s red eyes and puffy face. “She wanted to talk to you about it, so I came looking for you, and ran into Audrey on the way here.”

“A few people were talking about you crying in the hall, I put an end to the rumors though, don’t worry!” Audrey said, nodding her head. 

“She wants to talk to me about it? What is there to talk about?” Zale asked, hesitate to go anywhere that Harry wasn’t going to.

“I think she wants to apologize. I can tell her no if you want! She just seemed like she felt really bad about it,” Jane explained. “She’s in her office, so we can just pop by there?” 

“Yeah, that should be okay,” Zale said, making Jane smile. It was Jane, he would be safe with her.

“Promise it won’t take too long!” Jane said, looping her arm with Zale’s and pulling him out of the room. Harry took a step after them, then paused.

“It’s fine, he’s with Jane,” he said, shaking his head more for himself. “We gotta figure out what to do.”

“What happened?” Audrey asked, looking between Harry and Uma. Uma shut the door to her room and locked it before turning slowly to look at Audrey. “What…?”

“Zale has most likely been poisoned by my mother, who is trying to influence him to cause chaos in Auradon,” Uma explained as simply as she could. “Zale feels the same as the day when I found out about his powers, and he ran off to the lake after unleashing a massive storm, so, I think he was poisoned then as well.”

“How? How is your mother doing all of this without being caught?” Audrey asked, taking a seat on the couch in Uma’s room. “Is someone aiding her?”

“I think Ben, he has to be under my mother’s influence too, and now that my necklace is missing, she has unlimited power,” Uma said and Audrey’s eyes went wide. “I think it was stolen this weekend, while we were out of town. The pollution she most likely caused was probably meant to be a diversion of some kind, something to keep people distracted.”

“Great,” Audrey sighed, looking at the ground. “Poor Zale...he must be so scared! What can we do? How did he beat it last time?”

“It just went away?” Harry questioned, not really sure if they had done anything to stop it. “We think it was a smaller dose, so this could be more difficult to get rid of.”

“So, is this why Ben is acting so odd?” Audrey asked and Uma nodded her head. “There’s got to be a way to get rid of it. Sometimes Ben acts totally normal! OH! OH!” Audrey exclaimed, standing and startling Uma and Harry. “There is a way to break this!”

“What is it?” Uma asked and Audrey looked at her excitedly.

“True Love’s kiss!!!” She exclaimed loudly and Harry groaned at this. “What are you groaning about? Don’t you want to kiss your boyfriend?!”

“W-well, ya, but-”

“Then go kiss him and solve all of this! Ben has moments of clarity around Mal, who is his true love, so you can help Zale too!” Audrey continued and Uma raised her eyebrows at this.

“Audrey has a point...Zale just told you that he feels like she can’t do anything to him when you’re around,” Uma said and Harry’s face went red. “What are you so scared of? It’s just a kiss! You were complaining about not getting to kiss him last week!”

“Well-” Harry started and then there was knocking on the door. They all went quiet and looked at each other. It had only been a few minutes, there was no way that Zale and Jane were back already. 

Audrey went to the door and unlocked it, peeking her head out. 

“Oh, hey Ben. What do you want?” She asked and Uma and Harry looked to each other, shoulders tense. 

“I was looking for Zale, actually. Gil said he might be here?” Ben asked and they watched Audrey shake her head. 

“I think he’s out in the town with Lonnie and Jane,” Audrey said with a smile. “He looked pretty down so they took him out for dinner!”

“Oh, thank you. Guess I’ll have to speak to him later,” Ben said and walked off. Audrey shut the door behind her and pulled out her phone, rapidly texting someone.

“What if he finds out you lied?” Uma asked, but Audrey didn’t look too worried.

“I didn’t, because Lonnie is on her way to Fairy God Mother’s office to take Jane and Zale off into town,” Audrey said, pleased with herself. 

\--

Zale felt exhausted. He spent the rest of the day fighting against Ursula or whoever it was in his head, and he felt like he couldn’t go on anymore. The storm above had faded away and even if Zale wanted to call down a storm, he doubted he could even get a drizzle. 

He seemed to be left alone for now as he dragged his feet past Fairy GodMother’s office. Her apology today was nice, but he still felt hurt that his only chance to swim was taken away from him, all because others were worried he would cheat. 

He was going to attempt to play sick with Fairy God Mother, but she didn’t seem to fall for it, so he would have to go to class tomorrow. 

At least Lonnie and Jane took him out for a nice dinner. He wished he had taken them up on their offer to walk him back to his room, but now he was alone. 

“Hey there,” Zale paused as Ben approached him, coming from where Zale was heading. What was Ben doing here? 

“Uh, hey Ben,” Zale said, not sure what he could do right now to defend himself other than run away. Ben kept walking through, only telling Zale to have good night as he passed. Zale sped up and rounded the corner, leaning against the wall as he felt his heart beat rapidly against his chest. That was terrifying!

_ “Don’t you want to know about the day you got your powers?” _

“I already know,” Zale grumbled, trying to brush the voice off. If he could prove he couldn’t be swayed, maybe she would give up? He wanted to know so badly though...

_ “They didn’t tell you what you are capable of. They’re hiding the truth from you.” _

He paused, frowning. He knew his parent’s excuse had been too easy to believe. Why else would Fairy God Mother’s journal be blank for him? 

_ “Go get the journal. I can reveal the truth to you.” _

He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, breathing slowly. He wanted to know the truth so badly, he wanted to know if he should truly be feared, but he didn’t want to steal. Having Jane take a peek was fine, but for him to steal it from Fairy God Mother?

_ “If you want to protect your friends, you need to know the truth.” _

Zale opened his eyes, staring hard at the ground before turning back around and heading to Fairy God Mother’s office. The door was going to be locked, there was no way it was just left open for him.

Ben was nowhere in sight as he approached the door and turned the knob, almost freezing when the door opened for him. He looked around again before hurrying inside the office, shutting the door behind him. Okay, so he was in the office, but, there was no way he would find the journal. 

He approached the desk, seeing everything neat and tidy with a gold notebook set out.

_ “Just grab it.” _

“This is so wrong…” he mumbled, slowly reaching for the notebook. “And too easy? Why would she leave it out like this?” He turned it over in his hands, not daring to open it.

He sighed, then realized what he was doing and backed away from the desk slowly. He left the office, shutting the door quietly before running off down the hallway, pushing himself to keep going until he made it to his room. He hurried in and locked the door behind him before collapsing onto his couch, chest heavy. 

He sat up when he realized he was still holding the journal in his hands. 

He had just stolen from Fairy God Mother. He listened to the stupid voice and stole something! 

_ “Open it up.” _

He shook his head and pushed it under one of the couch cushions, sighing deeply. He wanted to know so badly, but he had to resist. Once the voice was gone, and he was okay, he would find out. If he read it now, while his emotions were heightened and more unstable, then who knows what destruction he would cause. 

\--

“Are ya feelin’ okay?” Harry asked as he and Zale walked to Zale’s first class of the day. Harry had barely slept that night. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Audrey said and if Zale was okay.

“Yes, yes, I am...okay,” Zale said, gripping his bookbag strap tightly. He barely slept last night. He kept imagining noises in his room every time he closed his eyes, and the guilt from stealing from Fairy God Mother ate at him.

“Neither of you look like you slept well, at all,” Uma said when she met them at the classroom door. “Why don’t you spend the night with Zale tonight?”

“Huh?” They both said at the same time. Uma rolled her eyes at this.

“You didn’t sleep because you were worried about him and you didn’t sleep because you thought someone was going to break into your room,” Uma said, pointing to Harry and then to Zale. “Or am I wrong?”

“Nah, you right,” Harry confessed, looking away as Zale looked at the ground. “I can stay with ya tonight, Bubbles, if that’s okay with ya.”

“Of course!” Zale replied quickly and Uma left them fumbling over themselves and headed into the class. “If you don’t mind…”

“‘Course I don’t! I’d sleep way better knowin’ ya were okay,” Harry said with a smile and Zale smiled back at him, making Harry’s heart flutter.

Could he actually be Zale’s true love? Was that possible for someone like him? 

“I really appreciate that,” Zale said, feeling relieved. “It was really rough last night, and I tried to convince Fairy God Mother that I was sick, but she didn’t buy it. At least I got to eat sushi last night,” Zale sighed, thinking about how good his dinner had been. 

“I feel like ya deserve sushi for every meal with how things are goin’ for ya lately,” Harry said, trying to cheer Zale up but he knew the male had a lot on his mind. “Maybe we can order some tonight and watch movies?”

“That would be really nice, you’re the best,” Zale said with a soft smile and Harry smiled back when the bell rang loudly. “Oh! You’re going to be late for class!” Zale exclaimed and Harry rolled his eyes, patting Zale’s shoulder.

“I’m always late, Bubbles.”

“Go!” Zale said, playfully pushing him away before hurrying into his own classroom. Harry went off to his class, not rushing like other students around him.

He made it to class and slid into his seat, not minding the teacher who was shaking her head at his tardiness. He didn’t really care if she was mad at him. He couldn’t pay attention at all during the class, or his next class. He could only think about Zale, and what they could do about his situation. Harry had to help him, he just wasn’t sure how. 

He could kiss Zale and possibly fix it all, but what if he kissed him and nothing changed? What if Harry fell hard for Zale, which he had to admit he was kind of already doing, and he still couldn’t help him? If he wasn’t Zale’s ‘true’ love, would Zale even want to date him anymore? 

Zale didn’t know about the possible ‘true love’s kiss fixes all’ solution, so if the kiss didn’t work, he would be none the wiser, but Harry would have to carry that with him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, turning his head to stare out the class window. 

He hated this. He hated feeling so helpless. He was supposed to protect Zale, but he failed at that. Now he had to find a solution, but his own insecurities were making him fail at that too. Having feelings was the absolute worst thing in the world. 

The bell rang and he stood slowly and grabbed his bag, feeling awful until he walked out of class and saw Zale waiting for him, a smile on his face when he saw Harry. 

Having feelings was the best, why did Harry think he could ever hate how happy seeing Zale made him?

“Ahoy there, how was class?” Zale asked and Harry shrugged. “Not so fun?”

“I ain’t pay much attention,” Harry said and Zale furrowed his brows at that. “Well, how can I Bubbles when I know ya hurtin’?”

“But class is important,” Zale said and Harry rolled his eyes.

“Yer more important, Bubbles,” Harry said so easily that he didn’t even think before saying it. Zale’s ears went red and he frowned and looked away, but Harry could tell he was trying hard not to get flustered. “Awah, c’mon now, you knew that already,” Harry teased and began walking down the hallway. Zale followed after him, still quiet, but a small smile on his face. Harry really wished he could reach out and grab his hand, but if the whole school found out that they were dating, he wasn’t certain that Zale could take it. 

He settled for bumping his shoulder against Zale’s, earning a small pout from Zale. 

“Aw, don’t be all pouty, Bubbles,” Harry said, following him to his locker. “What movies do you wanna watch tonight? We can make it a date, if you want, since goin’ out right now ain’t a great idea. I’m surprised ya went out with Jane and Lonnie.”

“Well, that was to hide from Ben,” Zale said, starting on his lock. “Sorry we can’t really go on actual dates...I just don’t want all that attention on us.”

“Bubbles, it’s cool with me and not like now’s the best time to announce it,” Harry said, leaning against the locker next to his. “Besides, I like our sushi and movie dates.” 

“Me too,” Zale said and opened his locker, only to be smacked with multiple fish that came tumbling out. “Ew!” He said, wiping off his face. A few students around him started to laugh, and Zale looked hard at the ground. 

“Scram!” Harry shouted at the students, sending them running. He heard a boom of thunder and he turned back to Zale and put his hand on his shoulder, hoping to calm him. “I will hook whoever did this to ya Bubbles.”

“I knew it would happen eventually,” Zale sighed, slowly shutting his locker. His whole mood shifted as he kicked a fish away from him. It was almost as if a dark cloud surrounded him. “All I am to them is a freak.”

“Bubbles, don’t let some asshole make ya feel this way,” Harry said, keeping his anger in check for Zale’s sake, though it was difficult. He needed to be strong, if he flew off the handle, Zale might follow. “You ain’t a freak at all!!”

“Then why do they do this?” Zale asked, gesturing to the fish on the ground. When he looked at Harry, the whites of his eyes were red, and tears were building up in the corner of his eyes. “Why do they feel the need to always remind me that I’m not all human? Then they wonder why I hid myself away, why I never spoke, why I just wanted to be invisible?”

“Human or not, you’re amazin’. They just don’t like different, Bubbles,” Harry said and took Zale’s hand, giving it a squeeze as Zale wiped his eyes with his free hand. 

“It’s just getting so hard,” Zale said with a shaky breath and Harry’s heart ached at seeing Zale so upset and hurt. “Thank you, for, well, everything,” Zale said to Harry, squeezing his hand back. “I…..I uh...uhm, nevermind,” Zale said, looking away as his ears got red. “I think I’m okay now.”

“Ya sure? We can ditch class,” Harry offered and Zale shook his head.

“It will be okay, I don’t want to cause more attention to be drawn to you or me,” Zale said and squeezed Harry’s hand before letting go. “Sorry you’ve been having to save me so much lately, I felt so close to losing it, but you stopped me, thank you.”

“I’ll always be there to save ya, Bubbles,” Harry said with a smile, happy he was able to help Zale. “Ya lucky that yer get a handsome pirate, knights are over rated.”

“Oh, are they?” Zale said, smiling at him. All traces of him crying earlier were gone and the dark cloud seemed to have been lifted. “Then I suppose I am really lucky to have you then.”

\--

“Wait? Ben is holding a meeting?” Zale asked, sitting on the rug in his room , stuffing a sushi roll into his mouth as Harry sat next to him, munching on a piece of tempura. 

“Yeah, I overheard it when I went to talk to Mal,” Uma said from the couch with Audrey beside her. They had joined Zale and Harry’s Sushi Movie night, though watching the movie had been abandoned at this point.

“It must be a small meeting, my parents didn’t know about it,” Audrey said. “Were you able to talk to Mal?”

“Sort of. I told her that my lockett was missing, and that she couldn’t tell Ben. She went with it without much arguing, so I think she knows something is going on,” Uma explained and ate a sushi roll, avoiding the squid. “There are going to be reporters on campus, so, you two better watch yourselves.”

“Us?” Harry questioned, not liking how Uma was looking at him and Zale. “We ain’t done nothin’.”

“I heard rumors of you two holding hands today,” Uma said and Harry frowned and rolled his eyes. 

“Noisy punks,” he muttered. “Someone pranked Zale, and I didn’t want him to get upset.”

“I didn’t think anyone was around,” Zale said, frowning. “I’m sorry Harry, I didn’t want you to get dragged into the rumor mill with me.”

“I don’t care ‘bout none of that, ya know that. They can say what they want,” Harry said and ate another roll. 

“Well what they say might send Zale off the handle, no offense,” Uma said and Zale nodded his head, understanding what she meant. “We just need to lay low tomorrow. I’m going to try to talk to Mal again.”

“If any reporters see me, they’ll want to talk to me about Family Day, and, I don’t think I’m stable enough to talk to them,” Zale said, suddenly feeling an anxious feeling in his gut. “They shouldn’t be in the school halls, so I just need to keep an eye out.”

“And if we see them, we’ll cover ya,” Harry said, ignoring the look Audrey was giving him as they continued to eat. Once all the food was done and the movie was over, Uma and Audrey stood, ready to call it a night.

“We just need to speak to Harry one moment,” Audrey said to Zale with a smile. Zale just nodded his head as Audrey pulled Harry out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. 

“What?” Harry asked and Audrey glared at him.

“If you do not kiss him and cure him, I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ll do something,” Audrey threatened as Uma stood there, sighing. 

“Oi, don’t go threatenin’ me!”

“Why are you so scared? You’re his boyfriend,” Uma said, crossing her arms across her chest. They both looked frustrated with him. 

“Just ‘cuz I’m his boyfriend ain’t meanin’ I’m his true love,” Harry told them, looking down at the ground with a defeated sigh. All three of them went silent enough that they could hear Zale moving around in his room. 

“No, that doesn’t guarantee that you’re his true love, but, I can tell that you are,” Audrey said. 

“How?”

“It’s how he looks at you, how he trusts you, how you two are just naturally drawn together and work together. You don’t see it, and I doubt Zale does either, but everytime he looks at you there’s so much love in his eyes, it makes my heart melt at how sweet it is, and it makes me so happy because you look at him the same way. I never thought Zale would ever open up to someone like he has with you,” Audrey said, smiling at Harry. “So, go get ‘em!” She exclaimed and opened up Zale’s door and pushed him in. 

He stumbled and turned to glare at her, but the door was already shut. 

“Everything okay?” Zale asked, sitting up in his bed, confused. Harry rolled his eyes and locked the door behind him before going over to his bag to change into his pjs. “Your face is flushed.”

“It’s nothin’!” Harry said and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He changed and brushed his teeth before staring hard in the mirror. 

He could do it. He could be Zale’s true love, and he could break this curse. He took a deep breath and exhaled before he exited the bathroom. He dropped his bag by the couch and walked over to the bed, sighing when he saw Zale asleep. 

He could break the curse tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a delay in posting this!! I hope you all enjoyed it and hopefully it won't take me so long to post the next chapter! I'm trying to write longer chapters which means it takes me longer to post them. ANYWAY! Have a good day!! Thanks for the bookmarks, kudos, and comments! I greatly appreciate it!!!!!


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